Author Topic: The slightly less well known  (Read 288031 times)

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Offline Angry Turnip

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #825 on: March 13, 2021, 02:46:04 PM »
Junkers Ju 90

The Junkers Ju 90 was a 40-seat, four-engine airliner.

The Junkers Ju 90 airliner and transport series descended from the Junkers Ju 89, a contender in the heavy bomber programme aimed at producing a long-range strategic bomber. This concept was abandoned by the (RLM, Reich Aviation Ministry) in April 1937 in favour of smaller, faster bombers.
The Junkers Ju 90 was a four-engine all-metal, low-wing aircraft fitted with twin end-plate vertical stabilizers. The wings were built around five tubular girder spars covered with a smooth stressed skin. The leading edge was swept, with the trailing edge almost straight. The Junkers "double wing", a full-span movable flap/aileron combination, was fitted. The tail units on the prototypes used corrugated skin, abandoning the exposed corrugated skinning on later Ju 90 production models for the Luftwaffe.

The first prototype, the Ju 90 V1, was powered by four Daimler-Benz DB 600C liquid-cooled inverted V engines delivering 1,100 hp each. These were more powerful than both those of its Ju 89 predecessor and of production commercial Ju 90s. Named Der Grosse Dessauer, its maiden flight took place on 28 August 1937. Deutsche Luft Hansa carried out the long-distance testing. After eight months of evaluation, this prototype broke up on 6 February 1938 during over-speed tests.

A second prototype (V2) was delivered to Luft Hansa in May 1938, like all the production commercial Ju 90s, this was powered by four BMW 132 radial engines delivering 830 hp. The move to lower power was necessitated by the demands on Daimler Benz to produce engines for strategically important, frontline aircraft. They named this aircraft Preussen. It crashed during tropical flight tests on takeoff in November 1938 at Bathurst, Gambia, probably because of engine failure.
Despite these setbacks, Luft Hansa ordered eight of the production type A-1s. They also used the next two prototypes, starting with V3 Bayern which flew on the Berlin-Vienna route from July 1938. This aircraft flew a total of 62,572 km ( mi) in 1938.Only seven of the A-1s were delivered to Luft Hansa, the last in April 1940, one going directly to the Luftwaffe.

In April 1939, the RLM asked Junkers for a development of the Ju 90 for military transport purposes. The Ju 90V5 and V6 were the prototypes of this military design. They got a new wing with a straight inner section leading edge, of greater span and area . The landing gear was strengthened with twin main wheels and the fins were more rounded, lacking the characteristic horn balance nick of the earlier models. The Ju 90 V5 flew first on 5 December 1939. A special feature of both the V5 and V6 was a powered boarding ramp in the floor of the rear section of the fuselage for loading cars and larger cargo freight. Both aircraft were fitted with the more powerful, 1600hp BMW 801MA radials. Ju 90s were also used as tugs for heavy gliders, only 18 Ju 90s of all versions were completed. Just two survived the war to fall into Allied hands, but both were scrapped soon afterwards.

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« Last Edit: March 13, 2021, 02:50:23 PM by Angry Turnip »

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #826 on: March 14, 2021, 03:26:10 PM »
Junkers Ju 160

The Junkers Ju 160 was a German single-engine, low-wing six-seat passenger transport aircraft.

The Ju 160 was developed from the Ju60 and was cleaned up aerodynamically and also had a more powerful 660hp  BMW 132E radial engine, a combination making it about 45 mph faster.
It was a low-wing cantilever design, the wings built around twin duralumin spars and covered in sheet duralumin. For the first time a Junkers aircraft used entirely smooth skinning,the improved performance of the Ju 160 was in part due to this change of skinning. The wing planform was also revised to have taper only on the leading edge. The trailing edge carried the usual Junkers "double wing", a full-width adjustable flap / aileron arrangement. Other aerodynamic improvements included a revised cockpit better faired into the fuselage, and a new fully retractable undercarriage.

The first prototype Ju 160 V1, D-UNOR, first flew in January 1934. Lufthansa used it in trials and a number of changes were made to the final prototype (V3), including a wider chord, less deep rudder and a faired tailwheel plus minor door modifications. The first civil production series were designated Ju 160 A-0. The second prototype V2 was for a military version.

Including prototypes, 47 Ju 160s were produced. Lufthansa were the main commercial operator, receiving 21 production aircraft. They were running on several domestic routes in 1935 alone and stayed in service on the fast route between Berlin and Vienna until 1941. One of the 21 was operated by the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurasia; this aircraft, however, crashed in Shanghai and was taken back to Germany and to Lufthansa after repairs. The first 11 Lufthansa machines were Ju 160 A-0s registered in 1935, followed by 10 D-0s in 1936. The D-0 version had larger cockpit windows and improved crew comforts. Two machines appeared on the Manchurian civil register, one of then having earlier been registered in Germany, the other sold direct, these ended up in Japan serving with the Japanese Navy as the LXJ.

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« Last Edit: March 14, 2021, 03:28:44 PM by Angry Turnip »

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #827 on: March 15, 2021, 12:48:28 PM »
Junkers Ju 287


The Junkers Ju 287 was an aerodynamic testbed built in 1944.

The Ju 287 was intended to provide a bomber that could outrun enemy fighters. The swept-forward wing was suggested by the project's head designer Dr. Hans Wocke as a way of providing extra lift at low airspeeds - necessary because of the poor responsiveness of early turbojets at the vulnerable times of takeoff and landing. A further structural advantage of the forward-swept wing was that it would allow for a single massive weapons bay in the best location, the centre of gravity of the plane, with the main wing spar passing behind the bomb bay. The same structural requirement meant the wing could then be located at the best aerodynamic location, the centre of the fuselage.Prior to the assembly of the first Ju 287, an He 177 A-5 (designated as na He 177 prototype, V38) was modified to examine the technical characteristics of this single large bomb bay design.

Flight tests began on 16 August 1944, with the aircraft displaying good handling, as well as revealing some of the problems of the forward-swept wing under some flight conditions. Most notable of these drawbacks was excessive in flight flexing of the main spar and wing assembly. Tests suggested that the warping problem would be eliminated by concentrating greater engine mass under the wings. This improvement would be incorporated in the subsequent prototypes with under wing engines moved forward.

The Ju 287 was intended to be powered by four Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 engines, but because problems experienced with that engine, the BMW 003 was selected in its place. The second prototype (Ju 287 V2) would have had six engines (originally four underwing BMW 003s and two fuselage-mounted Jumo 004s, but later changed to two triple clusters composed of four Jumo 004s and two BMW 003s), and also differed from the Ju 287 V1 in having the main undercarriage struts with an inward cant, the horizontal stabilizer lowered by 30 centimeters, and trouser pants for the nose wheels.The third prototype, the Ju 287 V3, employed six BMW 003s, in a triple cluster under each wing, and featured an all-new fuselage and tail design intended for the production bomber, the Ju 287A-1.

The Ju 287 V4 and V5 would have served as prototypes of the Ju 287A-2 and Ju 287B-1 respectively, and the V5 and V6 were to feature tail armament and ejection seats. The Ju 287B-1 would have had four 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) thrust HeS 011 turbojets, while the Ju 287B-2 was to employ two 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) thrust BMW 018 turbojets.

Work on the Ju 287 programme, along with all other pending German bomber projects came to a halt in July 1944, but Junkers was allowed to go forward with the flight testing regime on the V1 prototype. The components for the Ju 287 V2 had been completed and were shipped for final assembly. Seventeen test flights were undertaken in total, which passed without notable incident. This initial test phase was designed purely to assess the low-speed handling qualities of the forward-swept wing, but despite this the V1 was dived at full jet power at least once. After the 17th and last flight in late autumn of 1944, the V1 was transferred to the Luftwaffe's evaluation and test centre at Rechlin. However, in March 1945, for unknown reasons, the Ju 287 program was restarted, with the RLM issuing a requirement for mass production of the jet bomber as soon as possible.

Both V1 and V2 were destroyed by the Nazis to avoid capture by Allied forces. Wocke and his staff were captured by the Red Army and taken to the Soviet Union.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #828 on: March 18, 2021, 08:10:25 PM »
Junkers Ju 290

The Junkers Ju 290 was a large German, four-engine long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and heavy bomber.

The Ju 290 was developed directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes, and was intended to replace the relatively slow Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor.
The Ju 290 V1 prototype BD+TX, first flew on 16 July 1942. It featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines, and a hydraulic rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight A-1 production aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports saw the A-1s pressed into service as soon as they were completed.

The urgent need for Ju 290s in the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was also high priority, and resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were converted to A-2 specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to the modifications reqiured and the installation of defensive armament. The A-2 was fitted with low-UHF band search radar and a dorsal turret fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The radar was successfully used to locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from an altitude of 500 m (1,600 ft).

The A-3 version followed shortly after with additional navigational equipment and a heavier defensive armament. It was fitted with two powered dorsal turrets armed with 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, with a further 20 mm MG 151/20 and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun fitted in a typically German Bola gondola directly underneath the forward dorsal gun turret, and a 20 mm MG 151/20 fitted in the tail operated by a gunner in a prone position. Two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s were also fitted in waist positions. The A-3, along with the A-2, also featured large fuselage auxiliary fuel tanks.

The updated A-7 version appeared in spring 1944; 13 were completed, and 10 served with the long-range reconnaissance group. Some A-7s and some A-4s were fitted with a detachable nose turret armed with a 20 mm MG 151/20 for added defense against frontal attack. No bombs were carried, as it was intended that the A-5 and A-7 would be fitted with the FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance system to launch MCLOS-guided Fritz X and Hs 293 anti-ship missiles.

The long range of the Ju 290 made it a candidate for development in relation to the Amerika Bomber project, and as a result, the six-engined Ju 390, based directly on the Ju 290 airframe with even longer range was built in prototype form, two airframes being completed and test-flown. The Ju 290 itself was under consideration to serve as a tanker to refuel the Amerika Bomber.
In late 1942 Field Marshal Milch ordered the increasing the fuel capacity of the Ju 290 to enable it to perform the Amerika Bomber mission itself. A lightened Ju 290E subtype was proposed in March 1943, but remained unbuilt

During May 1942 engineers investigated the possibility of refueling the Ju 390 in flight from a Ju 290.By March 1943 consideration of using a Ju 290 to refuel another was made and the result was to see up to four Ju 290s converted to be tankers or long range bombers.Tanker/receiver experiments continued in early 1944 when two Ju 290 A-2s were tested under operational conditions from Mont de Marsan in France, the America Bomber role soon evaporated, and by October 1944, all production was stopped. A number of Ju 290s survived the war, the Allies evaluating at least three examples, none of which was known to have survived intact into the 21st century.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #829 on: March 20, 2021, 12:25:01 PM »
Junkers Ju 352

The Junkers Ju 352 Herkules was a German World War II transport aircraft.

During spring of 1942,Junkers-Dessau project office was instructed by the Reich Air Ministry to redesign the structure of the Junkers Ju 252 transport replacing the Jumo 211F engines of the with 1000hp Bramo 323R radial engines. The result was very similar to the Ju 252 but was an entirely new aircraft. The wing of the Ju 352 was mounted further back on the fuselage, and was entirely of wooden construction. The Ju 352 also had a rear loading ramp like that of the Ju 252. The ramp allowed the loading of vehicles or freight into the cargo hold while holding the fuselage level.

The Ju 352 was considered a major improvement over the original Junkers Ju 52 but noticeably inferior to the Junkers Ju 252. Deliveries of the Ju 352 had only just begun when, during the summer of 1944, the worsening war situation resulted in the decision to abandon further production of transport aircraft. In September the last two Ju 352As rolled off the assembly line, 10 pre-production Ju 352s and 33 production Ju 352s having been completed.

A number of upgrades of the basic design were proposed before production ended, including the Ju 352B with more powerful engines and increased defensive armament, which in the Ju352A was two MG131 machine guns fitted in the side windows, and  a 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon in the dorsal turret.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #830 on: March 21, 2021, 03:26:06 PM »
Klemm Kl 25

The Klemm Kl 25 was a successful German light leisure, sports and training monoplane aircraft, developed in 1928.

It had a low cantilever wing, fixed landing gear, and two open cockpits, the aircraft was developed by Hanns Klemm, who used his previous design, the Daimler L20, as a starting point.
It first flew with a 20 hp Daimler F7502 engine. About 30 different versions of the Kl 25 were made, and these were equipped with engines ranging from 43 to 94 hp. The fuselage was covered with plywood. Takeoff was achieved at only 31 mph and the maximum speed was between 93 to 99 mph.

15 were sold to Britain before the Second World War, fitted with a variety of domestic engines, while 28 more were built by British Klemm Aeroplane Company as the B.A. Swallow. Production in the United States was carried out by the Aeromarine-Klemm Company which enjoyed moderate success, as well as developing models for the American market, in isolation from the parent company, with around 120 built.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #831 on: March 21, 2021, 03:41:23 PM »
Klemm Kl 36

The Klemm Kl 36 was a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring monoplane.

The aircraft was a mixed-construction low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit. It had a fuselage made of steel frame, and canvas covered. The three-part wing, outer parts of wings and tail surfaces were wooden, plywood covered. The pilot and three passengers had an enclosed cabin, well glazed. The plane had a fixed tailskid landing gear, wheels had teardrop covers.

Due to the success of the three-seat touring plane Klemm Kl 32 in the European touring plane championship Challenge 1932, the company was ordered by the German (RLM) to develop another aircraft to take part in the next Challenge 1934. Due to changes of contest rules, it had to be more modern machine, four-seater with better performance and better STOL capabilities. The designer was Friedrich Fechner. As a result, new aircraft Kl 36 was a streamlined comfortable four-seater with rich wing mechanization, and was the fastest of all Klemms.

4 aircraft were built of the first series Kl 36A two powered with Argus As 17A, 225 hp inverted 6-cylinder in-line engine - and two with Hirth HM8U, 250 hp inverted V8 engine - D-IHEK, D-IHAV, both engines were air-cooled. Later, 8 additional aircraft were built, designated Kl 36B. They were powered with different engines, including 160 hp radial Siemens-Halske Sh 14 A-1.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #832 on: March 22, 2021, 10:33:09 PM »
Klemm Kl 107

The Klemm Kl 107 was a two-seat light aircraft developed in Germany in 1940.

The Kl 107 was a development from earlier Klemm designs and was a single-engined two-seat low-wing monoplane with a conventional landing gear. The first prototype first flew in early 1940 powered by a 105 hp Hirth HM500A-1 engine.A further seven prototypes were built in 1940 and 1941 as a private venture but only six had flown by the time the project was stopped by WWII.

After the war Hans Klemm joined forces with Bolkow Entwicklungen as a joint-venture to further develop the Kl 107 design. The new prototype first flew at Stuggart Airport on 4 September 1956. Originally flown as a Kl 107 with a Continental C90-12F engine, it was modified as a Kl 107A and then it was re-engined in 1957 with a Lycoming O-320-A2A engine and redesignated Kl 107B. It was exhibited at the 1957 Paris Air Show. A production run of 25 aircraft followed in 1958 and 1959. In 1959 a Kl 107C variant with a modified cabin was flown and production continued of this variant until the last and 54th post-war aircraft was flown on 27 September 1961.A four-seat variant was developed later as the BO 207.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #833 on: March 23, 2021, 07:49:09 PM »
LFG Roland D.I

The LFG Roland D.I was a fighter aircraft produced in Germany during the 1st World War.

It was a single-seat aircraft based originally on the earlier Roland C.II two-seat reconnaissance type. It shared its unusual design feature of having a deep fuselage that completely filled the interplane gap, but in comparison, the fuselage was much sleeker. While the C.II's appearance had earned the Walfisch ("Whale"), the D.I became known as the Haifisch ("Shark").The I-struts that had been used to brace the wing were replaced by conventional struts. Other changes to the wing included the removal of stagger from the design and the introduction of a slight sweepback.
It was powered by a 160 hp  Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine.

The prototype flew in July 1916 and was accepted by the Idflieg for military service. Production was interrupted, by a fire at the factory after only around twenty machines had been built. When production resumed, it had moved on to the improved Roland D.II.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #834 on: March 24, 2021, 08:41:24 PM »
LFG V 60

The LFG V 60 was a small, single engine, floatplane training aircraft from the mid-1920s.

It was a two bay biplane with pairs of parallel interplane struts, though the inner bay was quite narrow. There were ailerons on both upper and lower planes, which were externally connected.
Its engine was a 230 hp six cylinder inline, water cooled BMW IV, mounted with its cylinder heads exposed, which drove a two blade propeller. The fuselage was flat sided and with the two crew in a continuous open, tandem cockpit. The tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and the vertical tail was tall and rounded, the rudder extended below the keel. The V 60 had twin float landing gear attached to the wing and lower fuselage on a number of V-struts and laterally cross braced. Accounts vary but it seems 4 or 5 aircraft were completed.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #835 on: March 26, 2021, 01:25:55 PM »
LVG B.I

The LVG B.I was a 1910s German two-seat reconnaissance biplane.

This was the company's first original design, it was an unequal-span two-seat biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear. It was powered by a nose-mounted 100 hp Mercedes D.I engine. After entering service an improved variant, the B.II was developed with a cut-out in the upper wing to improve visibility for the pilot in the rear cockpit to help spot ground infantry, and fitted was fitted with a 120 hp Mercedes D.II engine. The B.II entered service in 1915 and although mainly used as a trainer, it also served in unarmed reconnaissance and scouting duties. A further variant was the B.III which had structural strengthening to allow it to be used as a trainer.

The aircraft was operated by Germany,Bulgaria,Denmark and Turkey.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #836 on: March 26, 2021, 01:46:08 PM »
LVG C.V

The LVG C.V was a reconnaissance aircraft produced in 1917.

The C.V was a conventional two-bay biplane design, with unstaggered wings of equal span and tandem, open cockpits for the pilot and observer.The ailerons, fitted only to the upper wing, featured aerodynamic balances that extended past the wingtips.The fuselage was a semi-monocoque construction skinned in wood.It was powered by a Benz Bz.IV , of 200 hp.

After the war, some C.Vs were used as civil transports, while some 150 machines captured by Polish forces were put to use by the Polish army. Other post-war users included Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #837 on: March 26, 2021, 02:08:01 PM »
Messerschmitt M 17

The M 17 was a German single-engine high-wing sports monoplane.

The design could be traced back to the Messerschmitt-Hirth S 14 glider. The aircraft was a two-seater almost completely made of wood and weighed only 198 kg (437 lb). The engine was a 29 hp Bristol Cherub II. The pilot had almost zero forward visibility and had to look out sideways.

In September 1926, pilot Eberhard von Conta,flew in an M 17 from Bamberg to Rome. This marked the first time the central Alps were crossed with a light aircraft. The flight lasted more than 14 hours and had to refuel every three hours. The aircraft reached an altitude of 4,500 m (14,760 ft).
Only one of the six-eight machines built survived and is today in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #838 on: March 26, 2021, 04:35:54 PM »
That is so cute!

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #839 on: March 27, 2021, 12:38:50 AM »
Messerschmitt M.20

The Messerschmitt M.20 was a German single-engine, high-wing monoplane ten-seat passenger transport aircraft, developed in the late 1920s.

It was a development of the BFW M.18d eight-seater, powered by a single 500 hp upright inline water-cooled BMW VIa engine. It had a high, cantilever wing based around a D-section box formed from a single dural spar and dural skin, forward to the leading edge. The fuselage was all-metal, with a mostly dural frame, covered with metal sheeting. The aircraft had accommodation, for eight passengers. The single-axle main undercarriage was strutted vertically to the wing.

The aircraft made its first flight on 26 February 1928, but was lost when pilot Hans Hackmack bailed out at low altitude and was killed, after the surface stripped from part of the wing. A second M.20 was flown on 3 August 1928, and became the first of two M.20a series to fly with Luft Hansa who ordered 12 more, but enlarged, M.20b aircraft. These carried ten passengers in a fuselage with five windows each side. It had dihedral on the wing and a more rounded vertical tail.

The Luft Hansa M.20s entered service in 1929 on routes that went from Switzerland via Germany to the Netherlands to various European cities. From the mid-1930s, they were operating German internal and holiday routes. Two were still flying such routes in 1942.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #840 on: March 27, 2021, 02:10:37 PM »
Messerschmitt M 35

The Messerschmitt M 35, was a German sports monoplane of the early 1930s.

During the period of 1927-33, Messerschmitt designed a series of sport planes, the single-seat M.17 and M.19, and the two-seat M.23, M.27 M.31, and finally the M.35. With the exception of the M.23, none sold in large numbers despite being agile and easy to fly. They were all single-engine low-wing monoplanes with open cockpits and fixed undercarriage. The M.35 kept the extended fuselage of the M.27 and combined it with an undercarriage of single leg, spatted form.

Two engines were available for the M35. The M35a had a 150 hp, seven-cylinder radial Siemens Sh 14a, and the M.35b a 135 hp four-cylinder inline inverted air-cooled Argus As 8b. The former was the shorter and faster of the two. The aircraft first flew in 1933 and was later first shown to the public and potential buyers at the 1934 Aerosalon in Geneva. Despite excellent reviews and strong performances at other venues in the late 1930s, only 15 M.35s were built, 13 registered in Germany, one in Spain and reputedly one in Romania. Though the M.35a was faster, the M.35b was more  common; and only two M.35as are definitely identified.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #841 on: March 27, 2021, 02:35:32 PM »
Messerschmitt Me 209

The first Messerschmitt Me 209 was a single-engine racing aircraft from 1938.

The designation Me 209 was used for two separate projects during World War II. The first was a record-setting, single-engined race aircraft, as profiled here. The second Me 209 was an unsuccessful proposal for a follow-up to the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter.

It was designed in 1937, and was a completely separate aircraft from the Bf 109, solely designed to break speed records.The small aircraft had a cockpit placed far back along the fuselage just in front of its unique cross-shaped tail section. Unlike the Bf 109, the Me 209 featured a wide track, inwardly-retracting undercarriage mounted in the wing section.
The aircraft achieved its objective when test pilot Fritz Wendel flew it to a new world speed record of almost 469 mph on 26 April 1939, bearing the German civil registration D-INJR.This record was not officially broken by another piston-engined aircraft until 16 August 1969 by Darryl Greenamyer's highly modified Conquest I F8F Bearcat, now at the Smithsonian's NASM.

The idea of adapting the Me 209 to the fighter role gained some momentum when, during the Battle of Britain, the Bf 109 failed to gain superiority over the RAF Spitfire. However, the 209 was not up to the task of air combat. It`s wings were almost completely occupied by the engine's liquid cooling system and prohibited installation of armament. The aircraft also proved difficult to fly and had terrible ground handling. Nevertheless, the Messerschmitt team made several attempts to improve the aircraft's performance by giving it longer wings, a taller vertical stabilizer, and installing two synchronized 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in the engine cowling.The modifications added so much weight that the Me 209 ended up slower than the contemporary Bf 109E. This first Me 209 project was soon cancelled with only four aircraft completed.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #842 on: March 27, 2021, 06:23:53 PM »
Messerschmitt Me 264

The Messerschmitt Me 264 was a long-range strategic bomber from 1942.

The Me 264 was an all-metal, high-wing, four-engine heavy bomber. The fuselage was round in cross-section and had a cabin in a glazed nose, comprising a "stepless cockpit" with no separate windscreen section for the pilots, which was common for most later German bomber designs. A similar design was used for the B-29, of slightly earlier origin. The wing had a slightly swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge. The empennage had double tail fins. The undercarriage was a retractable tricycle gear with large-diameter wheels on the wing-mounted main gear.

Defensive armament consisted of guns in remotely operated turrets and in positions on the sides of the fuselage. As a weight saving measure it carried little armour and few guns and this would increase fuel capacity and range. The Me 264's first prototype first flew on 23rd Dec 1942 and was originally fitted with four Junkers Jumo 211 inverted V12 engines but inadequate power from these engines led to their replacement late in 1943 on the Me 264 V1 first prototype with four similarly unitized 1,700 PS BMW 801G engines. In order to provide some crew comfort on the proposed long-range missions, the Me 264 featured bunk beds and a small galley.

Trials showed several minor faults and ponderous handling was found to be difficult. One of the drawbacks was the very high wing loading of the Me 264 in fully loaded conditions which caused poor climb performance, loss of manoeuvrability, stability and high take-off and landing speeds. The first prototype was not fitted with any weapons or armour but the following two prototypes, the Me 264 V2 and V3 had armour for the engines, crew and gun positions. The Me 264 V2 was built without defensive armament and vital equipment and the Me 264 V3 was to be armed and have the same armour.

In 1943, the Kriegsmarine withdrew their interest in the Me 264. Further payments for development work to Messerschmitt AG for its design were stopped. Late in 1943, the second prototype, Me 264 V2, was destroyed in a bombing raid On 18 July 1944, the first prototype, which had entered service, was damaged during a bombing raid and was not repaired. The third prototype, which was unfinished, was destroyed during the same raid. In October 1943, Erhard Milch stopped further Me 264 development, to concentrate on the development and production of the Me 262 jet fighter-bomber. A proposed six engine version was never built.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #843 on: March 28, 2021, 02:07:19 PM »
That is so cute!

Yeah it looks like something out of the Teletubbies- excuse rough edit  :D

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #844 on: March 29, 2021, 12:27:46 PM »
Messerschmitt Me 328

The Messerschmitt Me 328 was originally designed as a parasite aircraft to protect Luftwaffe bomber formations during World War II.

The aircraft was designed as Messerschmitt project P.1073 in 1941, and was originally conceived as a cheap and simple escort fighter.Three versions were proposed: an unpowered glider, a version powered by Argus pulsejets, and a version powered by a Jumo 004 turbojet.One of the main problems the project faced was with engines - the pulse jets didn't operate well at high to medium altitudes due to the lower air pressure. The engines also generated a huge amount of noise which could be heard miles away, making them unsuitable.

Seven prototypes powered by two Argus As 014 pulsejets, as used on the V-1 flying bomb were built. It was intended for use as a fighter aircraft, to be armed with two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. However, during static testing it soon became apparent that excessive vibration would make the project difficult. The manned flight programme was suspended in mid-1944, after only a few test flights had been made.Some sources say two prototypes were destroyed by inflight structural failure caused by vibration. A version was projected, which would use four Argus pulsejets, two mounted below the wings in addition to the original pair mounted above the rear fuselage.Bomber versions of both types were proposed, and work continued on them at the insistence of Hitler long after the point when much use could have been made of them.

A wide variety of roles were suggested for the aircraft, from a point-defence interceptor, to a version with folding wings and twin pulsejets to be launched from a catapult on a U-boat, to a ground-attack aircraft. Various modifications to the prototypes were made to evaluate their suitability.Different engine configurations were tested,despite  this, the vibration problem simply could not be overcome and the program was abandoned in early 1944, even as production facilities were being readied to construct the aircraft in Darmstadt.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #845 on: March 29, 2021, 12:44:52 PM »
Otto C.I

The Otto C.I, also known as the Otto KD.15, was a German two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War.

It was an all wooden, fabric covered twin boom design with box-shaped booms. Forward was a large fuselage gondola with two seats, the observer sitting at the front and the pilot to the rear. Behind the pilot was a Benz Bz.III six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine of 150 hp.The unarmed prototype first flew in May or June 1915, named KD.15 and powered by a 200 hp Rapp engine. Production examples were given the official designation C.I and the observer was provided with a single machine gun for defence. The Rapp engine proved unreliable due to overheating, so production aircraft were also equipped with the lower-powered 160 hp Mercedes D.III or 150 hp Benz Bz.III.

The C.I entered limited service with the Imperial German Air Service.They were delivered in two batches of six aircraft, ordered in August and November 1915 respectively, and served until at least April 1916.They were known for their stability and reliability and were nimble with good handling characteristics both on the ground and in the air.
The aircraft saw limited export success, some sold to the Bulgarian Air Force in 1915.Thirteen were delivered to Bozhurishte in spring 1916, serving based at Udovo.The first batch was powered by the Benz engine, while the latter used the slightly more powerful Mercedes inline.These aircraft were used in the bombing and reconnaissance role and served until 1917.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #846 on: April 03, 2021, 02:06:58 PM »
Pfalz D.VIII

The Pfalz D.VIII was a German World War I fighter aircraft.

The D.VIII was approved for production arising from German requirements in 1918 to develop superior fighter aircraft. Its power unit, the 160hp Siemens-Halske Sh.III rotary which drove a large four bladed prop enabled the type to achieve a top speed of 120 miles per hour at sea level. It was armed with twin 7.92mm Spandau machine guns.Forty aircraft were completed but as this was very near the end of the war, they were used mostly for evaluation purposes and saw very little actual combat.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #847 on: April 03, 2021, 02:24:46 PM »
Pfalz D.XV

The Pfalz D.XV was a German single seat fighter aircraft.

The D.XV was last of the series of biplane fighters and notably different from their earlier aircraft, with both mainplanes clear of the fuselage and without flying wires. The lower wing was the smaller of the two both in span and chord and had elliptical tips. The upper wing was square tipped and fitted with ailerons. Both were single piece from tip to tip.
The D.XV had a 185 hp 6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine BMW IIIa with a rectangular radiator filling the upper nose above the drive-shaft of the two blade propeller. It had a single open cockpit behind the upper wing's trailing edge.

It was judged to have high performance and maneuverability though tail heavy and was found to be difficult to land. It was one of the last German fighters accepted for production, getting its type approval on 4 November 1918, just a few days before the Armistice.The Pfalz XV never reached operational status.Several were built and finished, and there were 74 completed fuselages in the Pfalz works when these were inspected by the Allies in the autumn of 1919.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #848 on: April 04, 2021, 01:32:29 PM »
Raab-Katzenstein KL.1 Schwalbe

The Raab-Katzenstein KL.1 Schwalbe (Swallow) was a German two-seat biplane produced in the 1920s.

In November 1925 pilot Antonius Raab and engineer Katzenstein formed the Kassel-based company. Their first design, known initially as the KL.1 Schwalbe,was a single bay biplane with thick section, unequal span wooden wings which were built around twin spars and covered in fabric. The Schwalbe had ailerons on both wings, externally connected with vertical rods. The upper ailerons had large balances to serve both surfaces.

The first machines, designated KL.IA, were powered by a 80 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 11 seven cylinder radial engine, partially enclosed by a dural cowling which left the cylinders projecting for cooling. Its fuel tank was within the upper wing and the oil tank behind a firewall. Later versions of the Schwalbe, designated KL.1B and KL.IC, were powered by a 110 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 12 nine cylinder radial. The forward open cockpit was under the wing but it was flown solo from the rear cockpit which was over the trailing edge of the lower wing and behind that of the upper wing, where there was a cut-out to improve the pilot's view.

Piloted by Raab, the Schwalbe first flew on 16 January 1926. Numbers built are uncertain but estimates of between forty-two or about fifty-eight. Engines apart, the minor differences between the variants were small enough to allow several airframes to have been IAs, IBs and ICs over their lifetime.

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Re: The slightly less well known
« Reply #849 on: April 04, 2021, 01:49:24 PM »
Raab-Katzenstein RK.25

The Raab-Katzenstein RK.25 was a two-seat,monoplane aircraft designed and built in Germany in the 1920s.

It was a low wing, cantilever monoplane with an engine choice between a 80 hp Cirrus II or a 90 hp Cirrus III, both four-cylinder upright air-cooled inlines.Its wings were trapezoidal in plan, though with long, rounded tips.The wings were wooden, each with two longerons which were joined into a box spar by plywood skin out to three-quarter span.The rest of the surfaces, including the unbalanced ailerons which occupied about half the span, were silk covered. The ailerons had frames of elektron, a recently developed magnesium alloy.There were two open cockpits in tandem, one occupied by the navigator over the rear wing and the other by the pilot, behind the trailing edge.

The second RK.25 was fitted with a Cirrus III engine, the improved cylinder head cooling of which required a slightly wider and raised cowling. It also had raised cockpit sides.
The date of the RK.25's first flight is unknown,the prototype was registered in September 1928. It and the second example competed in the 1929 Challenge; the latter, with its more powerful engine and flown by John Carberry, came third.

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