Focke-Wulf Fw P.TSF (Turboprop Strike Fighter)

History

Advances in turbojet design technology in Germany during World War II (1939-1945) inevitably led to a variety of design forms, which Design forms have evolved leading to regular players such as Messerschmitt, Blom and Voss and Fokker-Wolff. For Focke-Wulf, makers of the classic Fw 190 single-seat, single-engine wartime fighter, these products are a deep mix of traditional and unconventional designs.

With each new iteration, the promised performance data and the complexity of the proposal increase.

The P.VII "Flitzer" was a 1943 Project fighter with a double boom fuselage design and a centralized "hull" to house the cockpit, engine, fuel depot and some proposed gun weapons. Power comes from a single Heinkel HeS 011 turbojet, paired with a Walter HWK 109-509A liquid-fueled rocket motor for additional thrust.

Only one model of this single-seat, single-engine product was produced until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.

In this work, however, a series of designs from the company emerged, numbering 7, with one entry for a strike fighter role, but including a turbojet (exhaust tail) and a propeller (mounted in the nose) superior). The combined engine promised a variety of performance upgrades to surpass anything the Allies could deploy between 1942 and 1944.

Much of the Flitzer's influence remains, including the all-gun armament scheme, dual-arm rear unit, and single-seat configuration.

Like the runabout before it, this seventh design ultimately fell through, but the idea was refined in November 1944 with a more traditional design arrangement. The rearrangement is largely due to the inherent shortcomings of the dual-arm hybrid setup scheme, which was abandoned for a more streamlined appearance with traditional lines.

The heart of the combat platform is still a single-seat hybrid, but its fuselage is a complete, sleek unit from nose to tail. The main aircraft was centrally mounted and swept back, with an air intake at each root for the intake of air-breathing turbojets buried in the fuselage.

The engine was deeply designed and drained under the tail. The nose contains the propeller unit in front of the cockpit, which itself is positioned forward of the main aircraft for excellent visibility. The rear wing extends some distance from the engine exhaust below and consists of a vertical plane spanned by a small area horizontal plane swept back.

Ground operations should use a fully retractable tricycle arrangement, keeping the aircraft in a slightly "nose up" attitude on the ground.

Propulsion power will be taken over by a Daimler-Benz DB 109-021 (Heinkel HeS011) turboprop/turbojet engine (drive shaft for turning the propeller blades). The propeller unit is a 9.2-foot, three-blade, nose-mounted variable-pitch attachment.

The turboprop is rated up to 2,000 horsepower, and the jet adds about 1,697 pounds of thrust.

The aircraft is 10.8 meters long, 3.1 meters high, has a wingspan of 8.2 meters, and has a leading edge sweep of 31 degrees (less along the trailing edge). Empty weight is estimated at 7,500 pounds, with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) approaching 11,000 pounds.

This provides flexibility in the amount and type of air-drop/air-launched munitions an attack aircraft can carry.

In terms of performance, engineers believe their design can reach speeds of 560 miles per hour at an altitude of 30,000 feet. The range is up to 635 miles, and the mission duration window is about 1.15 hours.

As one of the Luftwaffe's "paper plane" projects, this Focke-Wulf entry never materialized to have any effect on the outcome of the war. What's interesting about the design is that the Americans worked on a similar project in the postwar period, the Republic XF-84H (originally designated XF-106), of which only two prototypes were completed.

The performance gains are there, but the complexity and other options available mean that building expensive, novel projects on both sides of the Cold War is doomed.

Nonetheless, the Focke-Wulf turboprop/turbojet single-seat strike fighter would have been an interesting development during WWII - that is, had Germany not had a huge demand for interceptors and fighter jets by the end of the war, It does so.

Specification

Basics

Year of Service

1944

Origins

Nazi Germany

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

1

Production

0

Manufacturer

Focke-Wulf - Nazi Germany

Operator

Nazi Germany (proposed)

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.

Disable support (CAS)

Designed to operate near active ground elements with a wide range of air-to-surface weapon and ammunition options.

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.

Mixing Engine

Use two or more types of propulsion systems to achieve desired performance/flying maneuvers.

wing sweep

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

Sturdy aircraft frame

The inherent ability of the airframe to take significant damage.

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.

Extended range performance

Ability to travel long distances using on-board fuel supplies.

Super performance

The design covers the three key performance categories of speed, altitude and range.

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.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

35.4 feet

(10.80m)

Width/span

26.9 feet

(8.20m)

Height

10. 2 feet

(3.10m)

Cured weight

7,496 lbs

(3,400 kg)

MTOW

11,023 lbs

(5,000 kg)

Wgt Difference

+3,527 lbs

(+1,600 kg)

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 descriptor refers to manufacturing variant Focke-Wulf Fw P. TSF)

Performance

Installed:

1 x Daimler-Benz DB109-021 turboprop (HeS 011 turbojet) driving a three-bladed nose (on shaft) propeller unit with 2,000 hp and 1,697 lbs of thrust, produced by jet exhaust.

Maximum speed

559 km/h

(900 km/h | 486 knots)

Maximum

32,808 feet

(10,000m | 6km)

Area

634 km

(1,020 km | 1,889 nautical miles)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapons

Assumption: 2 x 30mm autocannons located under the nose. 2 x 20mm cannons at the root of the wing (one cannon per wing root). As a strike fighter, the platform will be equipped to carry missiles, bombs and external fuel tanks.