Germany's Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking" reconnaissance flying boat1,2
Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking":
Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking":
Design
The Bv 222 was designed to fulfill a 1937 Deutsche Lufthansa requirement for a cross Atlantic flying boat.2
Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH) ordered three Bv 222s in September 1939 to be used as a 24 berth transatlantic liner.1
Was initially powered by six BMW Bramo Fafnir 323 R radial engines.1
Some BV-222s were outfitted with search radar and powered gun turrets for use in long-range reconnaissance in the Atlantic to work with the U-Boats.1
To build a Bv 222 required 35,000 man hours.1
The hull was a corrosion resistant alloy which was from 1/8" - 1/2" / 3 - 5 mm in thickness.1
Prototype
The Bv 222V-1 prototype flew on September 7, 1940 but with the war, DLH no longer needed them.1,2 The first prototype flew its first cargo flight to Norway in July 1941.1
Production
- Total: 132
Variants
- Bv 222V-1, Bv 222V-2, Bv 222V-3: Prototypes with machine guns in various positions.1
- Bv 222V-7: Flew in April 1943 with six Junkers Jumo 207C diesel engines.1,2
- Bv 222A: had 2 turrets in the outer wings armed with 20 mm guns.1
- Bv 222B: Was proposed to be a civilian transport.2 None built.2
- Bv 222C-09 to C-012: Pre production models.2
- Bv 222C-013: Production model.2
Usage
The first three prototypes and five pre-production vehicles formed the Luft-Transportstaffel (See) 222.1
In October 1943 a Bv 222 shot down a Lancaster over the Atlantic.1
The Bv 222 was used for transportation in the Mediterranean and by the end of 1942 carried 1,377 tons of cargo, 17,000 troops, and 2,400 casualties.1
Seven survived the war and two were flown to the United States for evaluation.1,2
| Blohm and Voss Bv 2222 | Blohm and Voss Bv 222C1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Transport flying boat2 Reconnaissance flying boat2 |
Reconnaissance flying boat1 Transport1 |
| Crew | 112 | 61 Pilots (2), flight engineers (2), navigator, radio operator1 |
| Passengers | 1102 | |
| Engine (Type) | 6: BMW Bramo Fafnir 323R2 | 6: Junkers Jumo 207 207C inline diesel1 |
| OR | 6: Junkers Jumo diesel2 | |
| Cylinders | BMW: Radial 92 Junkers: Inline2 |
|
| Cooling | ||
| HP | BMW: 1,000 each2 Junkers: 980 each2 |
1,000 each1 |
| Propeller blades | ||
| Dimensions | ||
| Span | 150' 11"2 46 m2 |
150' 11"1 46 m1 |
| Length | 121' 4.5"2 37 m2 |
121' 5"1 37 m1 |
| Height | 35' 9"2 10.9 m2 |
35' 9"1 10.9 m1 |
| Wing area | 2,745 ft2 1 255 m2 1 |
|
| Weight | ||
| Empty | 67,570 lb2, 67,572 lb1 30,650 kg1,2 |
|
| Loaded | 108,026 lb2, 108,027 lb1 49,000 kg1,2 |
|
| Performance | ||
| Speed @ 16,400' / 5,000 m |
242 mph1,2 389 kph2, 390 kph1 |
|
| Cruising speed | 214 mph2 344 kph2 |
|
| Climb | ||
| Service ceiling | 23,950'1,2 7,300 m1,2 |
|
| Range | 3,787 miles1, 3,790 miles2 6,095 km1, 6,100 km2 |
|
| Maximum endurance | 28 hours2 | |
| Armament | 3: 20 mm MG 1511 5: 13 mm MG 1311 |
|
| Dorsal turret(s) | 1: 20 mm2 | |
| Wing turrets | 1: 20 mm2 | |
| Bow | 1: 13 mm2 | |
| Beam positions | 4: 7.92 mm MG2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
