Sombold So 344 (Schubjager)

History

As Allied bombing in the second half of World War II (1939-1945) devastated German interests, the Luftwaffe authorities developed the "Emergency Fighter Plan" to urge local industry to develop solutions capable of dealing with threats from the above . During this period, beginning in July 1944 and ending with the end of the war in Europe, many rather far-fetched concepts were drafted in May 1945, but few showed initiative. One of the proposals briefly considered during the war was the largely forgotten Sombold So 344 "Schubjager" ("Shooting Fighter"). The single-seat, single-engine aircraft started out as a "parasite fighter" to harass the aforementioned formations with speed and armament.

Before it was over, however, the plane was converted into a rather unique "bomber-fighter" with a nose section filled with explosives that could fire on enemy forces. A scale model was built for wind tunnel testing, but little is known about the project.

The aircraft was designed to incorporate a Walter HWK 109-509 rocket motor into the fuselage. Because the system is self-contained, inhalation (by ingestion) is not required. To reach the desired altitude before the engines fire, the plane will be carried by a "mother ship" and then launched, saving several gallons of precious rocket fuel.

From then on, the pilot has only a few minutes to deal as much damage as possible before his fuel supply runs out. Landing is performed with a simple abdominal glide.

The hull carried the pilot, his position was at the bottom of the midship stern vertical stabilizer. The main aircraft is a short tail type, mounted in the middle along the sides of the fuselage. The nose is outdated for aerodynamic efficiency.

The proposed weapons for the Parasite Hunter are 2 x 7.92mm MK 81 machine guns and a 30mm MK 108 automatic cannon.

Soon after, the idea of the So 344 as a parasite fighter was abandoned and the design was revised to be more like a dedicated bomber destroyer. A payload of up to 400 kg was now housed within the nose section, which was shot down into the approaching bomber formation under the command of the pilot.

A notable change is the removal of the aforementioned 30mm autocannon. After launch, the nose section carrying the war load was triggered by a proximity fuze, which detonated as the bomber formation passed the resulting explosion.

The end of the war in 1945 ended all prospects for the So 344.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Performance

Armor

Changes