Heinkel He P.1078C

History of Heinkel He P. 1078C

The German emergency fighter program was developed in mid-July 1944 in response to an Allied bombing offensive that would destroy critical German wartime capabilities. Production now focuses on the development of more defensive fighters (both piston and jet fighters are welcome) to avoid being wiped out in war.

The plan was essentially a last-ditch effort by the Luftwaffe to regain air superiority from the Allies, now firmly rooted in Europe, flying to Berlin every week. Some of the most important fighters that emerged from this initiative at the end of the war developed into the legendary Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) and the budget-conscious Heinkel He 162 Volksjager (People's Hunter).

Heinkel, along with their famous Volksjager, submitted several designs for consideration, the He P. 1087C proposal being one of them. Unlike the Volksjager, however, the P. 1078C was little more than a "paper airplane" design that was destined to never appear. Regardless, the Luftwaffe is in demand, and there are many German manufacturers eager to fill the proverbial void.

The P. 1087C was intended as the next logical step in the development of the German jet fighter, and engineers were already working to supplement and eventually replace the earlier Me 262 and He 162, which were just beginning to enter service in small numbers.

This particular Heinkel design is linked to the Luftwaffe specification centered on the use of the new Heinkel Hirth He S 011 series turbojets. The engine will put out approximately 2,866 pounds of thrust, propelling the Heinkel design at speeds of up to 630 mph.

To reduce production costs and speed up mass production, the He 1078C is relatively simple in design, using wood wherever possible. The metal fuselage was no more than 17 feet long and contained an armored cockpit, weapons, and relatively large single-engine equipment (fuel was carried in the wings). The wingspan is less than 30 feet, and the overall design height is just over 7 feet 8 inches. The armament will consist of four MK 108 series guns mounted in pairs on either side of the nose.

The nose itself is fairly short and acts as an air intake to suck in the turbojets buried further back in the design. The openings are rectangular in nature, which complements the square appearance of the hull when viewed from the front. The engine is exhausted at the rear via a conventional exhaust ring. The cockpit was well kept in design, with the pilot sitting under a small canopy that limited forward and side visibility (the stern was hindered by the short fuselage spine).

The landing gear is fully retractable and consists of three gear legs: two main legs amidships and a nose gear leg - all single-wheel arrangements. At rest, this arrangement will give the P.0178C a distinct "nose-up" appearance, possibly facilitating faster takeoff speeds by increasing wing drag. Since the jet fighter would be operating at high altitudes, the cockpit had to be fully pressurized for the pilot's safety, which required him to wear special flight suits and oxygen equipment unlike today's fighter pilots.

The original ejection seat was supposed to be part of the overall production program.

Probably the most recognizable part of the design of the P. 1078Cs is its wings. These components are mounted high on the sides of the hull and sweep sharply back. Each wing is turned up about three-quarters of the way from the fuselage centerline, then capped with a short fin that turns sharply downward. The reason for this structure was mainly due to the aerodynamic principles that were still being studied at the time, so the loading effect on the wing at high speed had to be eliminated. Ernst Heinkel was convinced they were capable of providing greater mobility and agility in melee.

It should be noted that there is no horizontal stabilizer in the Henkel design, and all of the thirsty turbojet's internal fuel will be stored on both wings. However, the wings are unarmored, leaving them exposed to even the slightest enemy fire.

German authorities finally passed Proposition P. 1078C, citing its irregular wing form, which could actually be a disadvantage for high-speed flight. The exposed nature of the fuel storage was another sticking point in the filing, and the P.1078C sank from there with little prospect of further development, forcing Heinkel to abandon the design by February 1945.

Germany would surrender in April of that year and sign a formal surrender with the Allies in May.

Heinkel He The P. 1078C would be another Luftwaffe footnote in WWII aviation history, although Ernst Heinkel himself supported the P. 1078C design and considered its tailless, tail-mounted design engine and cranked wings a step forward A revolutionary step, unlike anything other companies have come up with. As with other covert German projects in the latter part of the war, it remains to be imagined what impact this aircraft might have had by actively flying as intended.

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