Messerschmitt Zerstorer Projekt II

History

As World War II (1939-1945) advanced and Allied bombers began to take their toll on the German war effort, the Luftwaffe and its Suppliers are responsible for responding to threats from above. This has led to various proposed counter-bomber designs - "Zerstorer" or "Bomber Destroyers" - specifically for the role.

For the established Messerschmitt Group, this ultimately included two special projects, simply called "Project I" and "Project II".

The high-speed, turbojet-engined scheme, Project II adopted a more or less traditional design layout, with a single-seat cockpit located under a largely unobstructed canopy directly behind the streamlined nose cone assembly. The hull is tubular and is usually fitted at both ends. The main aircraft is amidships, mounted in the center and swept back for aerodynamic efficiency at the high speeds required for this aircraft. The shell of this main unit should be powered by at least one turbojet, located in the central part of the rear of the fuselage, sucking in through side air intakes integrated in the wing roots and exhausting through a standard ring. the tail of the plane.

However, the exhaust also appears on the trailing edge of the wing (at/near the wing root), which also suggests a multi-engine concept - up to three turbojets can be considered for this single design. Such an arrangement could meet the high-speed requirements of an interceptor fighter, albeit at the expense of limited range and a total of eight.

A fully retractable tricycle landing gear provides the means for ground movement, while the aerodynamic functions of the aircraft remain unchanged.

One of the most interesting design elements of Project II is the rear assembly, which uses a "T-shaped" unit. In the Project II study, however, the vertical section of the fin was swept forward and the horizontal was sloping up, giving this bomber-destroyer a completely unique profile.

When Project II was designed (although circa 1941/1942), the T-tail was untested - but it became the mainstay of many high-speed jet fighters that emerged after the war (the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 being a prime example).

This Zerstorer attempt assumes a 2 x 30mm autocannon buried under the nose - certainly enough to destroy the US B-17/B-24 and the UK Lancaster in one salvo.

Furthermore, little is known about interceptors in terms of their estimated performance and structural dimensions. All values ??on this page are estimates by the authors.

Specification

Fundamentals

Year of Service

1942

Origins

Nazi Germany

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

1

Production

0

Manufacturer

Messerschmitt - Nazi Germany

Operator

Nazi Germany (removed)

scrolling

air-to-air combat, fighter

The general ability to actively attack other aircraft of similar form and function, usually using guns, missiles and/or airborne missiles.

Intercept

The ability to intercept incoming airborne threats with high performance, usually speed and rate of climb.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Notable Features

Armor

Armor assigned to protect the pilot/crew compartment and/or critical operating systems enhances survivability.

Multi-engine

Include two or more engines to improve survivability and/or performance.

wing sweep

The main plane or leading edge has retraction lines for improved high speed performance and handling.

High-speed performance

Can accelerate to higher speeds than the average aircraft at the time.

High performance

The ability to fly and operate at higher altitudes than the average aircraft of the day.

Pilot/crew ejection system

Auxiliary procedures to allow pilot and/or crew ejection in the event of an air emergency.

Depression in crew members

Support the pressurization required for crew survival at higher operating altitudes.

Closed crew room

There are partially or fully enclosed crew work areas.

Scalable

Has retractable/retractable landing gear to maintain aerodynamic efficiency.

Main aircraft structure

monoplane/center/swept

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Central Install

The main aircraft is mounted below the center on the sides of the fuselage.

swipe back

The floor plan features a swept wing along the leading edge of the main aircraft, promoting higher operating speeds.

(structural descriptors refer to the basic production variant Messerschmitt Zerstorer Projekt II)

Performance

Installed:

3 turbojets of unknown make, model and thrust.

Weapons

Assumption: 2 x 30mm internal autocannons located under the nose.