Heinkel Wespe

The Heinkel Wespe (English: Wasp) was a project study by the German company Heinkel for a tail-sitting, vertical take off and landing-interceptor aircraft. The aircraft did not have conventional wings, but instead featured a large rotor. Completed in 1945, it remained untested due to a lack of material at the end of the Second World War. A related project was the Heinkel Lerche.

Heinkel Wespe
Role VTOL interceptor aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Heinkel Flugzeugwerke

Design

The aircraft was to be powered by a turboprop in the center of the airframe which was unusual for having a circular wing and would have had a small frontal area, making it a good platform for attacking bombers. It may have been designed for point defense, but due to the situation in Germany at the time, the engine was not completed and none were ever built.

Specifications

Data from

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
  • Wingspan: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,200 kg (4,850 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × He S 021 turboprop, 1,500 kW (2,000 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 800 km/h (500 mph, 430 kn)
  • Range: 650 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)

Armament

Heinkel Lerche

Focke-Wulf Triebflugel

Lockheed XFV

Convair XFY Pogo

Notes

    References

    • Herwig, Dieter; Rode, Heinz (2004). Luftwaffe Secret Projects: Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft. Midland. ISBN 978-1-85780-150-7.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.