Focke-Wulf Projekt II

History of the Focke-Wulf Project II

Renowned German aeronautical engineer Kurt Tank (designer of the Fw 190 and Ta 153 fighter jets) designed Project II ("p. 2") as another possible solution for the Luftwaffe's single-seat, single-engine jet fighter . Introduced in June 1943, the design has a sleek look with sleek silhouettes and elegant lines.

Like many other mid-to-late German fighter jet projects, the P.2 was never beyond its design.

The tank opted for a mid-wing design with recoil only at the edges of the front wings. The cockpit is located forward amidships, under the two-piece canopy, providing the pilot with good forward terrain visibility and allowing the use of a short nose cone assembly.

Two large fuel tanks were placed at the rear of the cockpit, creating a raised dorsal ridge that limited visibility to the rear of the aircraft. The fuselage is round, tapering to the rear to form the tail. The assembly features a single circular vertical fin and low mounted horizontal plane. Unlike other jet fighter schemes of the time, the P.2 had its single turbojet engine mounted under the fuselage to give ground crew better access to the system for maintenance and repairs. The engine of choice should have been the Junkers Jumo 004B/C turbojet, which was also used in the world's first operational jet fighter, the Messerschmitt 262 "Schwalbe".

The landing gear is a very modern approach and the general layout is a tricycle, fully retractable.

The proposed armament for the P.2 is a 2 x 30mm MK 103 or MK 108 series gun mounted under the cockpit floor with the barrel slightly protruding from the front side of the fuselage. 20mm MG 151/20 guns will be mounted at each wing root (one gun per position).

Estimated performance specs include a top speed of 528 mph, a range of up to 400 miles and a service ceiling of 40,680 feet. Dimensions include a barrel length of 9.85 meters, a wingspan of 9.7 meters and a height of 4.4 meters.

The design of the P.2 received some criticism, especially the placement of the engine under the fuselage. There are concerns that the drag on the aircraft and the nose gear will cause airflow disruption during landing and take-off operations. Also, there's always the risk that such a low air intake could accidentally pick up airfield debris, damage the engine and potentially lose it power. If the pilot is indeed forced to land the aircraft, especially without the use of the landing gear, the engine presents a unique and awkward challenge when trying to land the P.2 belly.

In most cases, that would mean the total loss of the engine - a rather priceless commodity in resource-starved Germany.

However, all of these criticisms proved moot, as the P.2 never appeared and was ultimately just another of the Luftwaffe efforts that were forgotten or ignored during the war.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes