First Post: Fascinating German aircraft of the Second World War

Now, to begin this blog with an auspicious first post:

The German War Machine, in its final days had achieved several breakthroughs in engineering, crafting some of the most advanced aircraft of their time. However, these technicians were also responsible for some of the most bizarre:

The Heinkel He 162

The Heinkel He 162 'Volksjager' was one of the Luftwaffe's more desperate designs, intended to be mass-produced as a jet fighter, with carpenters making almost the entirety of the aircraft parts out of plywood in sheds rather than factories. Pilots were to come purely from the Hitler Youth as opposed to the Luftwaffe, with only glider training.

Even more shocking is the fact that development of the aircraft had only begun 38 days before the plane's first flight on 6th December 1944, reflecting the immense desperation that had engulfed the Reich.

In order to make the plane as cheap as possible, the powerplant had been mounted upon the top of the fuselage, reducing any need for a complex exhaust system throughout the plane. Interestingly, despite the dedication to low cost, an ejection seat was included. 4000 were intended to be produced every month, overwhelming the allies through sheer force. However, by the time 200 had made it out of the factories, the allies had won the war, ending any dreams for a mass-produced swarm of jet fighters.

The fighter only saw combat in mid-April 1945, shooting down several allied planes. At the end of the war, many of the aircrews for these planes destroyed them rather than see them captured. The French air force would however, utilise the 162 as a test aircraft, which was apparently difficult to handle unless fully trained.

The Bachem Ba 349 Natter

This aircraft was equally bizarre and yet at the same time ingenious. Propelled by rocket, the plane was armed with a battery of rockets in the nose. when the fuel and armament were expended, the pilot and the rear section of the aircraft would parachute down to the ground for reuse.

The aircraft would never see combat, with many burned rather than captured. Only one original survives, in the USA.


Fieseler Fi 103 Reichenberg IV

This aircraft was truly a desperate weapon, being a suicide weapon in all but name, being a piloted V1 rocket designed to offer superb accuracy against ground targets. In theory, the the pilot would aim the aircraft at a target and then quickly bail out, but this is believed to be almost impossible, which was likely why no sorties were ever flown against the allies.

The unit was disbanded shortly before the end of the war, Hitler having been convinced that suicide bombers were not a part of the German martial tradition.

These aircraft were both remarkable and somewhat farcical in terms of design, and serve to illustrate both the genius of German engineering and the desperation of the Greater German Reich. However, they shall always remain truly fascinating examples of 20th Century engineering.


Sources used:

'The Military History of World War II' by Temple Press Aerospace (First published 1986)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_162

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_103R_Reichenberg

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=106