Germany's Blohm und Voss BV 222 "Wiking" reconnaissance flying boat1
Blohm und Voss BV 222 "Wiking":
Blohm und Voss BV 222 "Wiking":
Design
Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH) ordered three BV 222s in September 1939 to be used as a 24 berth transatlantic liner.1 The first prototype flew in September 1940 but with the war, DLH no longer needed them.1
Was initially powered by six BMW Bramo Fafnir 323 R radial engines.1
The first prototype flew its first cargo flight to Norway in July 1941.1
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
Variants
- BV 222 V1, BV 222 V2, BV 222 V3: Prototypes with machine guns in various positions.1
- BV 222 V7: Flew in April 1943 with six Junkers Jumo 207C diesel engines.1
- BV 222 A: had 2 turrets in the outer wings armed with 20 mm guns.1
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
| BV 222C1 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Reconnaissance flying boat1 Transport1 |
| Crew | 61 Pilots (2), flight engineers (2), navigator, radio operator1 |
| Engine (Type) | 6: Junkers Jumo 207 207C inline diesel1 |
| Cylinders | |
| Cooling | |
| HP | 1,0001 |
| Propeller blades | |
| Dimensions | |
| Span | 150' 11"1 46 m1 |
| Length | 121' 5"1 37 m1 |
| Height | 35' 9"1 10.9 m1 |
| Wing area | 2,745 ft2 1 255 m2 1 |
| Weight | |
| Empty | 67,572 lb1 30,650 kg1 |
| Loaded | 108,027 lb1 49,000 kg1 |
| Performance | |
| Speed @ 16,400' / 5,000 m | 242 mph1 390 kph1 |
| Climb | |
| Service ceiling | 23,950'1 7,300 m1 |
| Range | 3,787 miles1 6,095 km1 |
| Armament | 3: 20 mm MG 1511 5: 13 mm MG 1311 |
| Production |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
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