German WW2 Secret Projects Vol. 2

After a layoff of around twelve months, this new set picks up where we left off last time with a fresh batch of German secret projects of WW2. And as previously I’ve revisited and reworked some earlier profiles plus added a few completely new ones. Please note that all colours used in the profiles are standard RLM colours or derived from mixing them for shades and new colours that may have been evident due to the methods of application and the paint supply circumstances in the latter part of WW2.

Please see Luft 46 Colour Camouflage Applications, Part 1: Fighters for a full explanation.

Arado E.583.05 (Projekt 1)

More commonly known as the P1 or Projekt 1, this aircraft was a new design by Arado for a Night/Bad Weather Fighter and Zerstorer/Interceptor. The first draught was for a somewhat smaller aircraft featuring a full delta wing, but grew in to the final design as illustrated. I may well include the first design in a future set of profiles. Designed for the simplest of manufacturing procedures, it was a swept delta winged, twin engined concept. The 2 HeS 011A jets were housed in a common nacelle under the rear fuselage. The wings had twin fins and rudders two thirds from the fuselage centre line.

There is some conjecture to the number of crew, some sources state three whilst others suggest two. And one source suggests a single seat interceptor development may have been considered, probably based on the smaller first design. After completing the profiles with a two man cockpit, I now believe the 3 seater is probably correct. Due to the, at the time, novel design and war time constraints, the RLM considered too much development and testing time would have been needed to achieve its full potential thus all further work was ceased in favour of the Arado E. 583.06 Projekt 2.

Originally armament was to consist of ten Mk108 30mm cannon, but this seems to have been reduced to, a still impressive, eight. Four forward-firing mounted in the nose, two rearward-firing mounted in the tail and two mounted in the rear upper fuselage firing obliquely upwards at 70 degrees.

I have done four profiles, one in a more conventional night-fighter scheme, another night-fighter scheme using RLM 76 and Rlm02, one using the factory base undercoat green as the foundation colour with the fourth in shades of grey-brown mirror wave pattern.

Blohm und Voss P208.03

After extensive testing using the Skoda-Kauba V-6 to validate the control practicality of the layout, Blohm und Voss produced a number of tailless designs, culminating in the P208.03. This design featured cantilevered wings with a sweep of 30 degrees which were of a constant cross section. Wingtips, acting as elevators and rudders, were angled downwards and connected aft of the main wing trailing edge by small booms.

Power was provided by a single Daimler Benz 12-cylinder DB 603L engine modified to accept a two-stage supercharger (2100 HP with MW 50 methanol-water injection). The engine was buried in the rear fuselage engaging a 4 blade pusher propeller. Originally the design series planned to use a single jet engine which proved to be too late to have been ready in time, hence the adoption of the DB603L instead for the .03 version. Armament was to be three nose mounted MK 108 30mm cannon.

Blohm und Voss used a similar wing design concept for numerous subsequent designs, including the P209.01, P210, P212 and P215.

I have done four profiles, three with the pusher prop engine and one to illustrate what the turbojet version may have looked like.

Messerschmitt Wespe Mk 1

A largely unknown design that was penned in the late stages of WW2, Messerschmitt produced two ‘Wespe’ versions, each with a different fuselage. The first design, illustrated here, placed the cockpit midway along the fuselage, with a single He S 011 jet engine located to the rear, fed by a long air duct that started tucked under the nose. The tail was a long tapering fin and rudder, with the tail planes positioned mid-fin.

The second design’s cockpit was located much further forward in the fuselage and the He S 011 turbojet was mounted mid fuselage. It was fed by an air duct which wrapped under the forward fuselage, and exhausted below the tail boom. A V- Tail unit sat at the end of the boom.

Messerschmitt Wespe Mk 2

The cockpit on the second design was located far forward on the fuselage. The single He S 011 turbojet was mounted mid-ships fed by an air duct which wrapped under the forward fuselage, and exhausted below a tail boom with a V- Tail unit.

Both designs 1 and 2 used tricycle landing gear and although no armament was specified, two MK 108 30mm cannon would probably have been fitted in the nose.

Messerschmitt P1112

Work began on the P1112 project in early 1945, to build and develop the previous P1111 design, principally to eradicate design deficiencies and further improve what would have been a very futuristic concept. The design saw many design changes before arriving at the final version, illustrated here.

The project's final design featured a 40 degree swept-back wing and power was to be provided by a single He S 011A jet engine with a view to upgrade and adopt the more powerful He S 011B engine when it became available. Two air intakes were located on each side of the fuselage above the wing roots. The tail unit was a V-tail to help reduce the surface area and thus reduce drag.

The armament consisted of four MK 108 30mm cannon which were located on the fuselage sides surrounding the cockpit. Two 30mm MK 103 cannon could be fitted in place of two of the MK 108 cannon. A very unusual mounting of either one MK 112 55mm cannon, mounted in the lower fuselage sides, or one Mk 214 50mm cannon (see drawing below) could be accommodated by the barrel protruding through the front canopy.

Allied troops overran the Oberrammergau workshops where the P1112 was being developed in April, 1945 and shortly thereafter took possession of all files relating to the P.1112. It is no coincidence that the U.S. Navy Chance Vought F7U-1 "Cutlass" wing shares similar features to those of the P.1112. And by no coincidence Waldemar Voigt, the head of the P1112 project, found employment with Chance Vought after the war.

That’s it for now, more coming soon.

References

The following references proved invaluable in helping me to produce these profiles.

Dan Johnson’s Luft 46 site: www.luft46.com

Luftwaffe Secret Projects: Fighters 1939-1945 by Walter Schick, Ingolf Meyer, Elke Weal, and John Weal

Luftwaffe Secret Projects: Strategic Bombers 1935-1945 by Dieter Herwig

Luftwaffe Secret Projects, Volume 3: Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft by Dieter Herwig

Jet Planes of the Third Reich Vols 1 and 2 by Manfred Griel