| Me 328 | |
|---|---|
 Messerschmitt Me 328 B | |
| General information | |
| Type | Pulse-jet powered fighter |
| National origin | Nazi Germany |
| Manufacturer | Messerschmitt AG |
| Status | prototype only |
| Number built | 4 (+1 static test airframe) |
| History | |
| First flight | August 3, 1942[1] |
TheMesserschmitt Me 328 was a prototypepulsejet-poweredfighter aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturerMesserschmitt AG.
The Me 328 arose out of design studies for theP.1079 in 1941, having been envisioned as aparasite aircraft that would protectLuftwaffebomber formations from Allied fighter aircraft. Being largely composed of wood, the Me 328 was forecast to be several times cheaper than the cost of traditional German fighter aircraft, such as theFocke-Wulf Fw 190 orBf 109. It was proposed to use various forms of propulsion, including a singleJumo 004turbojet engine, either two or fourArgus As 014 pulsejets (as used on theV-1 flying bomb), and even as an unpoweredglider. TheDeutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS - "German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight") was also involved in its development.
Making itsmaiden flight in August 1942, the compact fighter was powered by a pair of As 014 pulsejets. However, these engines were fairly unsuitable, producing excessiveresonance,asymmetry, and noise; accordingly, the manned flight programme was suspended after only a few test flights. During its protracted development, a wide variety of other roles were explored for the Me 328; atAdolf Hitler's direction, resources were invested into its potential use as a bomber. As the conflict turned increasingly in favour of the Allies, the Me 328 project was resurrected for consideration as aSelbstopfer (suicide weapon) aircraft, but was deemed to be unsuitable even for this purpose. None were ever used in an operational capacity.
Work on what would become the Me 328 can be traced back to early 1941 and an approach by the German engine manufacturerArgus Motoren to the aircraft companyMesserschmitt AG to inform the latter of its recent advances withpulsejet technology.[2] While the projected 500 kg (1,100 lb) of thrust output was less than the 600 kg (1,300 lb) output projected for earlyturbojet engines, it was a far lighter engine at 80 kg (180 lb) verses 600 kg (1,300 lb). Messerschmitt was suitably impressed, so that efforts to incorporate theArgus As 014 pulsejet engine into its aircraft designs was promptly initiated; early design work was centered around applying it to theMe 262, which would become the world's first production jet fighter.[3] By May 1941, no less than 21 designs had been drafted by the company's project office, which had internally designated them asP.1079.[2]
A twin-engine arrangement was selected for its greater flight performance, the engine configuration used also permitted the propulsion units to be easily interchanged.[4] Each pulsejet could be individually controlled by the pilot, including a quick-stop function; gauges indicating fuel-flow, fuel capacity, and pressure were present alongside controls for power distribution and safety alongside standard apparatus.[5] The cockpit was relatively primitive, although provisions had been made for its replacement by a more well equippedpressurised counterpart without substantial changes to the rest of the aircraft if required. Aviation author Dan Sharp observed that much of the aircraft's design appeared to be shaped as to permit as rapid an entry into service as possible as well as to minimise costs.[5] The aircraft's construction was to be mainly of wood. A gentlyswept wing was applied to the aircraft for its favourable high-speed qualities.[6] A relatively simplisticdive brake could also be incorporated. However, even at this stage, the design team expressed their uncertainty over the aircraft's stability.[7]
As early as December 1941, discussions with theReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) (the German Reich Aviation Ministry) considered the P.1079 to be primarily as a fighter aircraft.[8] In such a capacity, it was intended to be deployed as a cost-effective and simplistic escort fighter, to either be towed aloft by aHeinkel He 177heavy bomber orJunkers Ju 388 using a semi-rigid bar (theDeichselschlepp, which was also considered for towing winged auxiliaryfuel tanks), or carried on aMe 264 in aMistel type fashion.[9][10][11] Three versions of the aircraft were initially proposed: an unpoweredglider, a version powered by Argus As 014 pulsejets, and a version powered by a singleJumo 004 turbojet engine.[10][12] Messerschmitt believed that the type would be capable of performing in several roles ranging from a fighter toaerial reconnaissance,bomber, andinterceptor aircraft.[6]
During February 1942, the project was transferred to theDeutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS - "German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight") for further development.[8] One month later, the Me 328 designation was attached to the aircraft for the first time; that same month, work on producing an initial three prototypes commenced.[8] Shortly thereafter, two versions of the aircraft were proposed, theMe 328A (fighter) and theMe 328B (bomber); it was estimated that four Me 328s could be built for the cost of aFocke-Wulf Fw 190 orBf 109 fighter. It was also suggested at one point that it be towed behind the Me 264 heavy bomber for protection.[13][14] It was envisioned that costs and production difficulties could both be reduced by incorporating as many components as possible from the in-production Me 262 andMe 209 aircraft.[15]
Test pilotHanna Reitsch carried out a test programme on the twoprototypes of the glider version, releasing from its carrier aircraft at altitudes of 3,000–6,000 m (10,000–20,000 ft). Ground launches, using both cable-typecatapults and rocket-assisted carriages on rails, were successfully conducted.[10] Even with a reducedwingspan, the aircraft demonstrated a very satisfactory performance, and it was planned to build up to 1,000 for use as disposable bombers to be flown by volunteers from 5/KG200, the so-calledLeonidas Squadron.[12]
Seven prototypes, each powered by a pair of Argus As 014 pulsejets (as used on theV-1 flying bomb), were built by glider manufacturer Jacobs-Schweyer ofDarmstadt.[10] It was intended for use as a fighter aircraft, to be armed with two 20 mmMG 151/20 cannons. However, during static testing it soon became apparent that it suffered the same problems which were to plague the early development of the V-1 flying bomb - namely, excessive vibration. The first prototype was lost during flight testing in September 1942 during a dive.[16] The engine problems were such that officials came to believe that the project would be difficult to bring to a successful conclusion, and the manned flight programme was suspended in mid-1944, after only a few test flights had been made.[10][12] Sharp notes a major factor in the Me 328's suspension was the superior results from turbojet development, making aircraft that harness them, such as the Me 262, more attractive prospects.[17]
Many of the problems with the aircraft were due to its engines - pulsejet propulsion did not operate effectively at high to medium altitudes (where the majority of combat was anticipated to take place) due to the lower air pressure. Furthermore, these engines also generated a huge amount of noise, allowing observers to hear the aircraft from several miles away, which was not a desirable quality. The excessive vibration produced by the engine would be compounded by the fact that, in a twin-engined configuration, the two pulsejets would run at individual and unique thrust cycles, producingoscillations that would inherently cause instability due toasymmetry as well asresonance. These vibrations were not only harmful to the pilot's health, but also threatened the aircraft's structural integrity.[18] During September 1943,Willy Messerschmitt andRudolf Seitz discussed switching the Me 328 to turbojet propulsion.[15] The proposal to fit the Me 328 with a Jumo 004 turbojet was designated as theMe 328C.
Despite this, development work continued, incorporating design advances from other Messerschmitt programmes, such as the P.1092 single-jet fighter design proposals.[18] One of the projected Me 328 models produced around this timeframe increased the number of Argus pulsejets to four, the additional pair of engines being mounted below the wings in addition to the original pair positioned on pylons above the rearfuselage.[10] Bomber versions of both types were proposed, and work continued on them at the insistence ofAdolf Hitler long after the point when anything other than token use could have been made of them.[10][12]
During 1944, moves were made to revive the Me 328 again, this time as a piloted flying bomb based on the Me 328B, fitted with a 900 kg (2,000 lb) bomb. According to Sharp, Reitsch had advocated for the use of Me 328 project as asuicide weapon,[19] however, the aircraft was not developed with any such use being intended.[20] However, work was dropped in favour of theFieseler Fi 103R (Reichenberg).[21]
A wide variety of roles were suggested for the aircraft, ranging from apoint-defence interceptor, to a version withfolding wings and twin pulsejets to be launched from a catapult on aU-boat,[10][12] to aground-attack aircraft. It was even believed that the Me 328 could be equipped to undertakeaerial refueling.[22] Various modifications to the prototypes were made to evaluate their suitability for these missions, and different engine configurations were tested. Despite all this, the vibration problem simply could not be overcome and the program was abandoned in early 1944, even as production facilities were being readied to construct the aircraft at the Jacobs Schweyer sailplane factory in Darmstadt.
According to the historian Thomas Powers, German officials explored the concept of using the Me 328 as aparasite bomber within theAmerika Bomber program.[23] In this role, a single Me 328 was to be carried by or towed behind either anMe 264 or aJu 390 to attackNew York City. Plans for this tactic — first proposed as much as nine months beforeHeinkel's trans-AtlanticAmerika Bomber design competitor received its own RLM designation[24] — were hatched from a meeting betweenGeneralfeldmarschallErhard Milch andGeneralmajorEccard Freiherr von Gablenz at Berlin on 12 May 1942. After release, the Me 328 pilot would release a bomb overManhattan and then ditch at sea near a U-boat. The idea was dropped in August 1942.
Data fromDie Deutsche Luftruestung 1933–1945 - Vol.3 - Flugzeugtypen Henschel-Messerschmitt[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
500 kg (1,100 lb) explosive warhead
_(43249997850).jpg)
One replica is on display at theMilitary Aviation Museum inVirginia Beach, Virginia.[27]
Static thrust: 500lbs; Max thrust: 800lbs
Powered by an Argus Motoren Werke GmbH As 014 pulse jet engine which produced a maximum thrust of 3,530 newtons (794 pounds of thrust) at 750 kilometers per hour (460 miles per hour) at Sea Level.
