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)

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Nakajima Ki-84-Ia Hayate, Chutai 29th Hiko Sentai (Hasegawa)

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TYPE: Fighter, Fighterbomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Nakajima Ha-45 engine, rated at 1,999 hp

PERFORMANCE: 392 mph at 20,080 ft

COMMENT: Undoubtedly the best Japanese fighter aircraft to see large-scale operation during the last years of war in the Pacific Area, was well protected, well armed, fast and manoeuvrable. The Ki-43 Hayabusas were just starting to fire their guns in anger when Nakajima was instructed to design their replacement. The specification called for an all-purpose, long-range fighter with high speed and capable of operating at combat rating for 1.5 hours. Design work was initiated in early 1942 and in March 1943 the first prototype was completed. Flight test began in April 1043 and after success under operational conditions the mass production of the aircraft war started as Army Type 4 Fighter Model 1A Hayate, or Ki-84-Ia. A total of 3,514 Ki-84s and derivatives were built, of which were 3,288 Ki-84-I and Nakajima Ki-84-II production aircraft as well as 3 Tachikawa Ki-106 prototypes, a wooden version of the Ki-84 Hayate. (Ref.: 1)

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Curtis XP-60C (Anigrand, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, Fighter, Fighter-bomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-53 engine, rated at 2,000 hp

PERFORMANCE: 414 mph

COMMENT: In 1940 the Curtiss Aircraft Company proposed a new design for the eventual replacement for the Curtiss P-40. The new aircraft, the Curtiss XP-60, went through a long series of prototype versions with different engines. Installation of the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engines led to the development of the XP-53, soon redesignated XP-60. Delayed deliveries of the Merlin engines necessitated the installation of Wright (XP-63C) as well as Chrysler (XP-60B) engines. To improve the performance of the XP-60C the engine was changed again, this time a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 with contra-rotating propellers was installed. During its first flight the results were generally satisfactory. Changing the contra-props into a four-bladed propeller led to the XP-60E. But the performance was poorly, too,  and further work on this design was abandonded. (Ref.: 8)

Fighter

Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning (Anigrand, Resin)

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TYPE: Long-range escort fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two

POWER PLANT: Two Allison V-3420 engines, rated at 3,000 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 436 mph at 25,000 ft

COMMENT: The Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning was an American long-range fighter developed during WW II. Although derived from the successful Lockheed P-38 Lightning,  the XP-58 was plagued by technical problems with its various engines that eventually led to the cancellation of the project. Initially, the design was powered by two Continental IV-1430 engines. In July 1940, Lockheed decided to switch to Pratt & Whitney XH-2600 engines as the aircraft would be underpowered with the Continental engine. However, soon Lockheed was advised the development of the XH-2600 engine was terminated. So again engine alternatives were needed and the design was changed to use two Wright R-2169 Tornado engines. In February 1943, use of another engine, the Allison V-3420, was necessary due to poor progress with the Tornado engine development. Parallel to this the design was revised as a second crew member was added and the defensive armament was changed. Two turrets, one upper and the other lower on the fuselage, each  containing two .50 in machine guns, were installed and directed by a gunner in the rear fuselage. The XP-58 finally flew on 6 June 1944 for the first time, but after 25 test flights were completed and clarified many more problems further work on the XP-58 was reduced and in October 1944 the program was stopped and no further flights were done. The construction of the second prototype was abandoned. (Ref.: 23)

Fighter, Projects

Arado Ar TEW 16/43-15 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Heinkel He S 011 turbo-jet engine, rated at 1,300 kp, plus one Walter HWK 509A-2 liquid rocket engine, rated at 1,700kp

PERFORMANCE: 920 mph at 18,800 ft,  with rocket, 572 mph at 6.160 ft, jet engine only

COMMENT: In mid 1943, the Arado Aircraft Company draw up some studies into the future development of high speed fighters. Among the designs was an interceptor aircraft with a combination of both turbo-jet as well as rocket engine. This project, the Arado Ar TEW 16/43-15, had a single Heinkel He S 011 turbo-jet engine developing 1,300 kp of thrust, mounted atop the fuselage immediately behind the cockpit. To improve the climb rate and performance, a Walter HWK 509A bi-fuel rocket engine was also placed within the rear fuselage. The wings were swept back at 25 degrees, and because of the jet engine’s placement, a twin fin and rudder arrangement was provided. In order to achieve as much space as possible for fuel tanks a special landing gear arrangement was proposed. This was designed by the DVL (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt, German Aviation Experimental Establishment). The main wheels were provided with small spherical tires of 12.5 inch in diameter, and were placed in tandem, thus the space needed when retracted was minimal. The nose and main wheels retracted forwards. The cockpit was located in the nose of the fuselage and guaranteed good front view, but vision to the rear was very poor due to the engine and air intake position. Due to these expected problems – same as with another Arado project, the Arado E. 580,  further work on this design was cancelled. (Ref.: 16; 18) 

Fighter, Projects

Junkers EF 123 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, fighter. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One BMW 003A-1 turbo-jet engine, rated at 800 kp

PERFORMANCE: 550 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: In September 1944 the Junkers Flugzeugwerke (Junkers aircraft company) submitted a design EF 123 for the Volksjäger competition (People’s Fighter Project). Little is known about the design, only a photo of a model survived. The wings were similar to the Heinkel He 162 “Spatz”. Because the jet engine was placed below the fuselage a “normal” tailplane was provided. The RLM rejected the Junkers EF 123 in favour to the Heinkel He 162 and further work on the design was cancelled. (Ref.: 19; 21)