Messerschmitt Me 329
The Messerschmitt Me 329 was a design project for a heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft, developed towards the end of World War II. It was a competitor and possible successor to the Me 410. Like the Me 265, the Me 329 used an advanced flying wing design. Other advanced features included the pilot and navigator sitting in tandem in a broad bubble canopy, and a remote-controlled rear gun in the tail. In spite of the futuristic design, the improvement in performance over the Me 410 was marginal. Development received a low priority, and while a full-scale glider was tested at Rechlin in the winter of 1944/5,[1] work on the project was cancelled shortly after.
| Me 329 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Zerstorer |
| Manufacturer | Messerschmitt |
| Status | Mock up only |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 0 |
| Developed from | Messerschmitt Me 265 |
Specifications (estimated)
Data from Luftwaffe secret projects: ground attack & special purpose aircraft[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 7.715 m (25 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
- Height: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 55 m2 (590 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 6,950 kg (15,322 lb)
- Gross weight: 12,150 kg (26,786 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603G V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines 1,745 PS (1,721 hp; 1,283 kW)
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed pusher propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 685 km/h (426 mph, 370 kn) at 7,000 m (22,966 ft)
- Range: 2,520 km (1,570 mi, 1,360 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns:
- 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons,
- 4 × 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons,
- 1 × MK 114 forward firing in fuselage nose
- 1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 rearward-firing
- Bombs:
- internal bomb load of up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Herwig, Dieter; Rode, Heinz (2003). Luftwaffe secret projects : ground attack & special purpose aircraft. Leicester: Midland. pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-1857801507.
Further reading
- Nowarra, Heinz J. (1993). Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Vol.3 – Flugzeugtypen Henschel-Messerschmitt (in German). Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. pp. 266–267. ISBN 978-3-7637-5467-0.
