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Focke-Wulf Volksjager (I/II)

1946 SECRET WEAPONS OF THE LUFTWAFFE WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

History of Focke-Wulf Volksjager (I/II)

Germany's Focke-Wulf contributed several notable advanced aircraft designs to the Luftwaffe's Notfalljagerprogramm (EFP) in mid-1944/early 1945, although few of them were funded before the end. The EFP was promulgated in July 1944 in response to Allied bombing that caused considerable damage to the German war machine and hampered its ability to repel Allied offensives in the west on the ground.

Its main goal was to find an economical product with an advanced design to counteract the large formations of enemy bombers arriving from Britain and elsewhere.

One of the Focke-Wulf concepts became the "Volksjager" ("Volksjager"), with a single pilot and engine, designed with improved aerodynamics for high-speed and high-performance flight. The fuselage is slender, egg-shaped, with only one crew member near the nose, and the canopy is covered under a light frame canopy (except for the stern) that may provide good visibility. The wing main aircraft sits on the sides of the fuselage in a typical fashion, but is swept back significantly for high-speed flight. The fin basically consists of a long vertical fin with a horizontal plane at the very top (T-arrangement).

The powerplant was buried in the rear of the fuselage and depleted under the empennage.

Two different forms of FW Volksjager are shown, "Volksjager 1" and "Volksjager II". The Volksjager I relies on a BMW 003 A1 series turbojet engine, which requires a nose-mounted air intake for induction. It has a wingspan of 26.6 feet, and the aircraft has an overall length of 28.8 feet and a height of 9.3 feet. Armament includes 2 x 30mm MK 108 automatic cannons mounted on the front of the fuselage, enough to shoot down an Allied bomber.

The loaded weight is estimated at 6,725 pounds, and the suggested top speed is closer to 510 mph.

The Volksjager II was conceived as a rocket-powered interceptor and was more compact. With a wingspan of just 15.9 feet, the aircraft has an overall length of 17.4 feet and a height of 8.9 feet. Curb weight is 400 lbs. Instead of the Volksjager I's turbojet, the modified aircraft will be fitted with a Walter HWK 109-509 A-2 rocket engine.

While this resulted in a significant speed boost, it limited air stamina and direct combat time (about 15 minutes of power/flight time is all one can have). Since air intakes are not required, the nose section can be camouflaged. The structure will use wood wherever possible, with metal for key components and parts. No chassis is installed, which helps increase unit production time while limiting procurement costs.

The lack of a landing gear means that the pilot needs to use the provided chute to land his interceptor belly (launch/takeoff will be via a trolley powered by the aircraft's own rocket). Armament remains 2 x 30mm MK 108 guns.

The Volksjager has an estimated top speed of 620 mph.

The Volksjager I lost competition with the Heinkel He 162 (detailed elsewhere on this page), which entered service and produced several hundred before the end of the war (but had a limited impact on the outcome). The design of the Volksjager II was tested at the end of the European War in May 1945, and officially ended with the end of the conflict.