Heinkel Lerche (Lark)

History of Heinkel Lerche (Lark)

The concept of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) flight was deeply studied by several aviation groups of World War II (1939-1945), which was studied by the Heinkel group through the "Lerche" ("Skylark" initiative) (based on the earlier "Wasp" "concept). The concept revolves around a streamlined single-seat fuselage powered by twin-piston engines, with the center of the fuselage wrapped by a large-diameter twin-propeller fan system that uses a ducted wing plane form. Using this arrangement, the aircraft - sitting on its tail while the ground is stationary - can rise vertically from the ground and take off to a safe altitude before lowering its nose to begin its phase of horizontal flight. The pilot lies prone in the transparent nose assembly.

Such a design negated the use of expensive and long runway surfaces, essentially allowing Lerche aircraft to operate on virtually any plane - and more importantly, to get close to the front lines before Allied bombers could reach valuable targets in the German area.

Design work began in February 1945, but the project proved too late to produce any practical results beyond the drawings. German leader Adolf Hitler will commit suicide in late April and Germany will signal the end of the war in Europe in May.

If the program were developed into a production quality product, the Lerche system would be classified as a fighter/interceptor and would be properly equipped with guns and early guided missiles.

The final Lerche II will be powered by 2 x Diamler-Benz DB 605D V12 liquid-cooled inline engines, each rated at 2,000 hp (another alternative engine arrangement listed is 2 x Daimler-Benz DB 503E Series 12 cylinder rated at 2,400 hp PS in-line engine). In either case, the lark will use two counter-rotating propellers placed in a midship duct blade arrangement to provide the required lift/forward thrust. While performance specifications are fully estimated (as no prototypes have been completed and no test aircraft have been flown), the Skylark has a suggested top speed of 500 mph and a cruise speed of about 340 mph.

Its service ceiling may have reached 47,000 feet, while achieving a climb rate of 9,800 feet per minutea key quality for interceptors trying to intercept incoming enemy bombers in time.

As a fighter/interceptor, the Lerche design was proposed to include 2 x 30mm MK-108 guns in a side-mounted fuselage gun. There will also be support for 3 x Ruhrstahl X-4 air-to-air missiles - under development at Dr. Max Kramer since June 1943 (though they were destined to never see combat action in the war).

It was essentially the precursor to the missile that played a major role in the upcoming Vietnam War (1955-1975).

Of course, the forward-looking Lerche program proved to be too innovative, and other problems led to extended development times (lack of resources, pilot training in VTOL flights, dogfights for unconventional fighters). It is believed that special ladders had to be built to allow the pilots to reach the cockpit before entering it.

However, many experts approve of the aerodynamic character and concept of the Lerche design. If it gets more design and development, it might prove to be a useful tool.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes