Heavy Bomber, Reconnaissance, Cargo

Consolidated PB2Y-5 “Coronado” (Contrail Models, Vacu-formed)

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TYPE: Patrol bomber flying-boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of ten

POWER PLANT: Four Pratt &Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp engines, rated at 1,200 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 213 mph at 20,000 ft

COMMENT: In June 1935 and July 1936, respectively, the US Navy ordered prototypes of large four-engine flying-boats in patrol bomber category from Sikorsky and Consolidated. The Consolidated design, Model 29,  made use of retractable wingtip floats similar to those on the Consolidated PBY “Catalina”, but in all other respects it was a wholly new design with high-mounted wing and a capacious hull with accommodation for a crew of ten.
The XPB2Y-1, as designated by the Navy, took-off first time on December 1937, but orders for the big new aircraft was delayed until mid 1939. First six production PB2Y-2s were delivered December 31, 1940, after a production contract for 210 PB2Y-3s was placed a month before. These “Coronados”, as the type was named, often carried ASV radar in a fairing just behind the cockpit. Several aircraft were redesigned and became PB2Y-5 and PB2Y-5R depending on the engines used. All “Coronados” were withdrawn from active service before the end of 1945. (Ref.  22)

Fighterbomber

Nakajima Ki-115 “Tsurugi” (Sabre) (MPM Model)

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TYPE: Suicide attack aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Nakajima Ha-35 radial engine, rated at 1,150 hp

PERFORMANCE: 342 mph at 9,185 ft

COMMENT: In January 1945, the Japanese Army instructed Nakajima to build a specially designed suicide attack aircraft. This was to be easy to build, maintain and fly, and provision had to be made in its design to carry a single bomb. Power was to be supplied by any air-cooled radial engine with a rating of 800 to 1,300 hp. Maximum speed was specified at 211 mph with the undercarriage in position and 320 mph after jettisoning.
The first prototype was completed in March 1945 and flight tests began immediately. As could be expected from such a crash program, the results were disappointing and several modifications were required before handing the aircraft to pilots with limited experience. Provision was made on the 104 production aircraft for two solid-fuel rockets under each wing to boost the aircraft’s speed in its final dive. None of these aircraft became operational before the war ended. (Ref 1.)

 

Medium Bomber, Projects

Heinkel He P.1065 Ia (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Bomber, heavy fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT:Two BMW 801E radial engines, rated at 1,550 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 400 mph at 19, 685 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: In 1942 Heinkel Aircraft Company was working on concepts for a new multi-purpose aircraft, able to fulfill different operational duties. Seven designs were elaborated that differed in many aspects.
Four designs, proposed as ”Versions I”, were competitors of the Junker Ju 288. He P. 1065 Ia was a two-engine bomber or heavy fighter, powered by two BMW 801E, rated at 1,555 hp each or two Junkers Jumo 222C engines, rated at 2,600 hp each. “Version Ib” was a somewhat different bomber and powered by two Junkers Jumo 222C engines, rated at 2,100 hp each. All designs had tail units with twin fins and rudders. He P. 1065 Ic was a twin-engine fast bomber design, powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 609 engines, rated at 2,270 hp each and conventional tail fin and rudder. The design was forerunner of what was projected as Heinkel He 319 V1.
Heinkel He P. 1065 IIc was an asymmetric low wing airplane, comparable to the Blohm & Voss Bv 141, proposed as a fighter bomber and powered by either BMW 803, rated at 3,500 hp or Daimler-Benz DB 619 engines, rated at 4,540 hp.
Finally, “Version III”, was a further development of the Heinkel He 119 as a fast bomber.  He P. 1065 IIIb should be powered by one Daimler-Benz DB 619, rated at 4,450 hp and had a tail unit with twin fins and rudders. Heinkel He P. 1065 IIIc was powered by one Daimler-Benz DB 613, rated at 3,100 hp and had conventional tail fin and rudder. This project should be further developed into Heinkel He 519. None of the seven projects were realized (Ref.: 19)

 

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Rikugun Ki-93-Ia (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Twin-engined heavy fighter and ground attack aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two

POWE PLANT: Two Mitsubishi Ha-214 radials, rated at 2,400 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 388 mph at 27,230 ft

COMMENT: The Rikugun Ki-93 was the last heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft built in Japan during WW II and was the only design of the Rikugun Kogugijutsu Kenkyujo (Army Aerotechnical Research Institute) to be flown. Powered by two 2,400 hp Mitsubishi Ha-214 air-cooled radials driving six-blade propellers, the aircraft was designed specially to carry large caliber cannon in its under-fuselage gondola. Thus the Ki-93 was designed to perform as a high-altitude heavy bomber destroyer as well as a low-altitude anti-shipping aircraft. In its bomber destroyer form (Ki-93-Ia ) the aircraft carried offensive armament comprising one 57 mm Ho-401 cannon and two 20 mm Ho-5 cannon, while for the anti-shipping missions its offensive armament  comprised one 75 mm Type 88 cannon and two 250 kg bombs (Ki-93-Ib).
Production of the Ki-93 was entrusted to the Dai-Ichi Rikugun Kokusho (First Army Air Arsenal) at Tachikawa and the first prototype was completed and flown in April 1945. A second prototype, the Ki-93-Ib in ground attack configuration, was completed but not flown before the end of the hostilities. (Ref.: 1)

Fighter, Projects

Heinkel He 162D (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Target-defence interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A turbojet, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 565 mph at 19,685 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: The Heinkel he 162D was a parallel development  to the Heinkel He 162C what was essentially similar but featured a swept-forward wing. There appeared to be certain advantages to be gained by sweeping the wing surfaces forward towards the tips, the critical Mach number being similar to that for an equal angle of sweepback but the tip stall tendency being removed and thus permitting higher taper ratios in both planform and thickness.
Swept-forward wings were also tested or designed in Germany by Junkers with Ju 287, EF 122, 125, EF 131, by Blohm & Voss with Bv P.209.02, and in the United States with Cornelius XFG-1 fuel-transport glider.
Neither the Heinkel He 162C nor the He 162D took-off into the air. But when the Heinkel factory at Schwechat, Austria, was occupied by Allied troops, a half-completed prototype for the Heinkel-Hirth HeS 0114A-powered B- model was found, this having interchangeable swept-back (He 162C) and swept-forward wings (He 162D). (Ref.: 7)

Fighter, Projects

Heinkel He 162C (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Target-defence interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION:  Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel-Hirth HeS-0114A turbojet, rated at 1,300 kp

PERFORMANCE: 565 mph at 19,658 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: Progressive development of the basic Heinkel He 162 design led to the He 162C. This project utilized the B-series fuselage and the more powerful Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011A turbojet, had wings swept back 38 degrees at the leading edge, and a V-type or “butterfly” tail. This latter was tested by the He 280 V8. The new wing featured a coarse anhedral angle from two-thirds span.
The He 162C was envisaged as a target-defence interceptor and it was proposed to equip the fighter  with a variation of “Schräge Musik” (Jazz music, Luftwaffe term for fixed weapons firing obliquely upward) with a pair of 30-mm MK 103 cannon on special mountings enabling them to be tilted upwards at a fine angle from the horizontal. This enabled the guns to be fired while the fighter underflew the target.
The He 162C project was not realized, but when the Heinkel factory at Schwechat, Austria, was occupied by Allied troops, a half-completed prototype for the Heinkel-Hirth HeS 0114A-powered model was found, this having interchangeable swept-back (He 162C) and swept-forward wings (He 162D). (Ref.: 7)

Fighter, Fighterbomber, Projects

Heinkel He 162B Single Argus (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor Fighter, Fighterbomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Argus Ar 044 pulse jet, rated at 500 kp thust

PERFORMANCE: 410 mph at 9,850 ft

COMMENT: In November 1944, the RLM issued a requirement for a very simple, rapidly produced small fighter aircraft. This Miniaturjäger (Miniature Fighter) program was to use the simplest and cheapest power plant available, and to have the minimum of strategic materials and practically no electrical equipment. As power unit the Argus Ar 014 or Ar 044 was proposed and the Miniaturjäger was to take-off – rocket assisted with two Schmidding 109-533 solid-fuel rockets, rated at 1,000 kp thrust for 12 sec each – and land conventionally. Only three firms participated in this design competition, Heinkel He 162B Single Argus,  Junkers EF 126 and Blohm & Voss Bv P.213. As the best design the Junkers EF 126 Lilly was selected but in December 1944 the  Miniaturjäger-program was cancelled. (Ref.: 7)

Fighter, Projects

Heinkel He 162B (Twin Argus) (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor Fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Argus As 014 pulse jets, rated at 333 kp thrust each

PERFORMANCE: 484 mph at 9,850 ft (estimated)

COMMENT: From the outset of the He 162 programme, the Heinkel team had envisaged the eventual use of the Heinkel-Hirth 011A (HeS 11A) turbojet in the He 162 aircraft as the He 162B-1. Possessing a similar structure to that of the A-series fighter, the He 162B had a lengthened fuselage which permitted an increase of internal fuel capacity. Due to the slow production rate of that engine, in early 1945 the Nazi Party Leader Saur’s Fighter Air Staff requested proposals for the adaptation of the He 162 to take the Argus-Röhre, a simple pulse jets or intermittent propulsive ducts. Heinkel as well as the RLM’s Technische Amt found that the Argus-Röhren were totally unsuited for fighter installation. But nevertheless, project studies were started by adapting a He 162B-series airframe to take either one or two Argus-Rohr units. The first arrangement called for the two Argus-Röhren As 014 with 333 kp thust each to be mounted side-by-side over the rear fuselage. Apart from excessive vibration the aircraft needed two Schmidding 109-533 solid-fuel take-off rockets with 1,000kp thrust for 12 sec. each. The high fuel consumption of the pulse jet militated against its used as a “Volksjäger power plant. As Heinkel had little enthusiasm for the Argus-Rohr-powered He 162, this programme advanced no further than the drawing board. (Ref.: 7)

 

Fighter

Heinkel He 162A-2 “Spatz” (“Sparrow”), Stabsstaffel JG 1 (Revell)

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TYPE: Interceptor fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 003E-1 turbojet, rated at 800 kp

PERFORMANCE: 521 mph at 19,690 ft

COMMENT: The so-called “Volksjäger (Peoples Fighter) project was started on September 8th, 1944 when the basic project requirements were issued by the Technisches Amt des RLM (Technical Office of the State Ministry of Aviation) and the Jägerstab (Fighter Staff) to several aircraft companies as Arado, Blohm & Voss, Fieseler, Focke-Wulf, Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and Junkers. It was envisaged a simple, inexpensive fighter, suitable for quantity production from easy-available materials by semi-skilled and unskilled labour. The Volksjäger was to be powered by a single BMW 003 “Sturm” (“Storm”) turbojet and had to be ready for mass production by January 1st, 1945.
Messerschmitt had refused to submit any proposal and nearly all other designs – e. g. Arado E 580, Junkers EF 123 – were found unsuitable. Only Blohm & Voss’s project Bv P.211 being adjudged the best of those submitted. On September 19th, a further conference was held at which all proposals were reviewed. This time the Siebel Aircraft Company took part instead of Messerschmitt. Again it was decided that the Blohm & Voss contender, the Bv P.211, was superior in every respect to all other contenders. But after misunderstandings and disputes it was decided that the Heinkel design He P.1073 was best suited for the future Volksjäger. Immediately construction of the P.1073 began, work on detailed drawings in parallel. In October 1944 the design was redesignated as He 162, code name “Spatz” (“Sparrow”). Orders were given for immediate quantity production with an output of 1,000 aircraft monthly. Within 90 days the He 162 was conceived, designed, built and flown. The first unit to train on the He 162 was the I Gruppe/JG 1. Only 320 He 162 were built before the end of the hostilities, 800 more had reached advanced stages of assembly. There are no veritable reports that the He 162 was involved in combat. (Ref.: 7)

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Nakajima Ki-84-I-Ko Hayate, 1st Chutai, 102nd Hiko Sentai (Hasegawa)

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TYPE: Fighter, Fighterbomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Nakajima Ha-45 engine, rated at 1,990hp

PERFORMANCE: 392 mph at 20,080 ft

COMMENT: In June 1943 some of the first Nakajima Ki-84-Ia  Hayate of a service trials batch of 83 machines were handed over to the Tachikawa Army Air Arsenal for service tests. During flight trials the Ki-84 reached a top speed of 388 mph, climbed to 16,405 ft in 6 min 26 sec and reached a service ceiling of 40,680 ft, thus demonstrating the best performance of any Japanese aircraft suitable for immediate production. A second pre-production batch of 42 Ki-84s was built in April 1944 and in the following months more and more aircraft were delivered to several Sentai. In combat it became obvious that the Ki-84 was a formidable foe , comparing favourably with the best Allied fighters. (Ref.: 1)