DFS 228

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DFS 228 Narwhal
Two-sided view of the DFS 228
Type: Experimental airplane
Design country:

German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire

Manufacturer:

DFS

First flight:

1944

Commissioning:

-

Production time:

-

Number of pieces:

2 prototypes

The DFS 228 "Narwal" was an experimental high-altitude long-range reconnaissance aircraft with rocket propulsion , which the German Research Institute for Glider Flight developed during the Second World War . The aircraft should be brought to an altitude of about 10,000 m or more, there the rocket engine should be ignited and the aircraft should be brought to about 20,000-23,000 m. It was assumed that the aircraft could glide about 1,000 km away, protected from enemy attacks, if the rocket engine were repeatedly ignited briefly to maintain altitude. A glide flight of about 300 km was possible from a height of 12,000 m without the use of rockets or updrafts ( thermal or leeward waves ).

history

Felix Kracht developed the DFS 228 as a self-supporting mid-decker . The design was very similar to a conventional glider . With the exception of the metal pressurized cabin, the aircraft was almost entirely made of wood, as DFS had little experience with the metal construction and the aircraft should be as light as possible. A first prototype - still without rocket engines - was completed in March 1944 and subjected to numerous test flights. After the test flights showed that the pressurized cabin was not suitable, a new one was developed in which the pilot steered the aircraft while lying down. The entire bow, both in the original design and in the revised version, could be detached from the airframe in order to serve as an escape capsule with an integrated parachute for the pilot at great heights in an emergency . As soon as the external pressure had risen to a bearable level for the pilot, he could get out of the bow and slide to the ground on his own parachute. The adjustable rocket motor Walter HWK 109-509 with a thrust of 1 to 14.7 kN should serve as the drive . It has not been proven that there were test flights with built-in rocket engines. In May 1945 the second prototype was destroyed in an air raid, the first prototype was captured by American troops and brought to Great Britain for testing in 1946.

Technical specifications

Parameter Data
crew 1
length 10.59 m
span 17.60 m
height 2.92 m
Wing area 30 m²
Glide ratio 25th
Empty mass 1350 kg
Takeoff mass 4210 kg
Top speed 900 km / h
Minimum speed 80 km / h
Summit height 25,000 m
Range approx. 1000 km
Engine (planned) a Walter HWK 109-509 A-1 with 1–14.7 kN thrust
Equipment (planned) 2 × Zeiss - infrared cameras

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ernst Peter: Der Flugzeugschlepp from its beginnings to today , Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1981