Blohm & Voss BV 238
| Blohm & Voss BV 238 | |
|---|---|
 Blohm & Voss BV 238 V1 |
|
| Type: | Flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
March 11, 1944 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
.svg){kind=small}
The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a flying boat from the manufacturer Blohm & Voss from the time of the Second World War . It was the heaviest aircraft in the war, a few tons heavier than the B-29 . The first prototype, the V1, flew for the first time on March 11, 1944, after having made a short hop the day before. Six DB 603s in forward-mounted engine nacelles served as drive . Construction of two more prototypes has started but not completed.
development
Like the BV 222 , the BV 238 originally emerged from Lufthansa's request for a civilian flying boat that was used by the military from 1941. The BV 238, however, was to be even larger than the BV 222. In addition, it should have significantly improved swell performance (tested up to swell 5 in a model test) for operations of up to four weeks in the Atlantic. To reduce the risk involved in building such a large aircraft at the time, the Flugtechnische Produktionsgemeinschaft GmbH in Prague built a scaled-down model, the FG 227, in which six ILO FL 2/400s with 21 hp each were used. This aircraft was equipped with a landing gear for the test flights . Due to sabotage, the first flight did not take place until September 1944, i.e. well after the first flight of the V1 and ended with an emergency landing . The construction of parts for the V1 had already started in 1942, which were then put together from January 1944.
Testing and use
The testing of the V1 from March 1944 showed good flight behavior and also good water work. After 38 test flights under the direction of BV chief test pilot Helmut Wasa Rodig, testing had to be stopped on June 23, 1944. The flying ship camouflaged on the Schaalsee near Seedorf (in the so-called "Fliegerbucht" near the village of Sugar Loaf) was killed on April 24th (according to British sources on May 4th) 1945 by six Hawker Typhoon (or Tempest ) fighter-bombers from Royal Air Force discovered and badly damaged by missile and weapon fire. The fighter-bombers approached Dargow in three waves from the north. After the war, the remains of this machine were dismantled and scrapped in 1947/48, as were the V2 and V3 that were still under construction. The BV 238 is considered to be the high point of German seaplane construction and is still trend-setting in some respects.
A modified version with undercarriage for land use was planned under the designation BV 250.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 43.36 m |
| span | 60.17 m; V1 only 57.75 m |
| height | 13.40 m |
| Wing area | 362 m² |
| Empty mass | 54,700 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 85,000 kg |
| Wing loading | 261 kg / m² |
| Cruising speed | 355 km / h |
| Top speed | 446 km / h |
| Landing speed | 143 km / h |
| Summit height | 7300 m |
| Range | 7200 km |
| Engines | six Daimler-Benz DB 603 |
| Armament | 4 × 13 mm MG 131, 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20, 20 × 250 kg SC 250, |
Web links
literature
- Hans Redemann: Aviation History - Blohm & Voss BV 238 , Flight Revue, December 1978
- Elmar Wilczek: A flying giant, the Blohm & Voss 238 , FliegerRevue X, No. 52