Morane-Saulnier MS.325

This is our last post until we come back from our well earned rest, son don't expect us for the next two weeks.
In the year 1930, when the French light weight fighter programme named legier Chase or Plan Caquot was judged a failure, the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Aeronautical Service) issued a requirement for a C1 (monoplane de chasse - single-seat fighter) fighter, requirement which was upgraded shortly later on 26th January 1931.
The requirement called for a single-seat fighter powered by a supercharged engine with a cylinder capacity of between 26 and 30 l (1586.62 and 1830.71 cu in). Eventually no more than 10 designs and 12 prototypes were submitted, all of them designed around the 26 l (1586.62 cu in) Hispano-Suiza 12xbrs engine which yielded 650hp of power at 4500m (14800ft) high which had proven to be reliable and offered a relatively small frontal area. The Morane-Saulnier submissions included the Morane-Saulnier M.S. 275 which had the traditional parasol wing that was so typical of the firm. With the M.S. 325, however, a more innovative layout with a low-wing duraluminium-skinned all-metal configuration was chosen.
The M.S. 325 was somewhat modest in its configuration as it still featured an open cockpit with tail surfaces being, at the original sketches, fabric covered. The landing gear was fixed and the main wings were braced by two-spar exterior struts. The wings had two jettisonable internal fuel tanks placed at the root, with a pair of 7.7mm (0.303in) Châtellerault machine guns mounted above each of the widely spaced landing gear legs. One unusual feature was that the starboard wing had greater incidence than that of the port one to counter torque force and the engine was also very slightly canted to port to counter the resultant yaw.
The first prototype was flown for the first time at the hands of the company Chief Test Pilot Michael Détroyat in 1933 from the proving grounds of the factory in Vèlizy-Villacoublay. The first results weren't satisfactory as tail buffering was encountered which required the addition of wing root fairings and lowering the tailplane.
Tests continued and it still suffered from handling problems so, when compared to other competitors, the M.S. 325 was relegated to an "also-ran" status and the Dewoitine D.500 was chosen.
A developed variant with a Hispano-Suiza 12Xers engine and a 20mm (0.787in) firing through the propeller's hub was proposed, but the design was eventually abandoned as the Morane-Saulnier M.S. 405 was already showing good results with only partial performance tests completed.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.325
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Messerschmitt Me.209-II

The Messerschmitt Me.209 was used also for a proposal made in 1943 to make a heavily modified version of the Bf.109. This proposed version was intended to compete against Focke-Wulf's Fw.190D-9 and Ta.152 fighters.
Just like its competitors, it would share most of its airframe with a consolidated model, which in this case it was the Bf.109G.
Unlickly for the design team, the proposed engine, the Daimler-Benz DB 603A was in short supply and therefore they were forced to use the Junker Jumo 213A engine. Even if the 35 litre engine displacement Jumo 213 had been designed on purpose to have as many of its engine access points as possible made to be like the 44,52 litre displacement DB 603 powerplant (which was Germany's largest-displacement inverted V12 aircraft engine), that changeover required some reconstruction of both the engine cowling and cooling system. The most noticeable one was the one made to the engine's air intake location, as the Jumo 213's supercharger was placed at the starboard side of the engine, as it was standard for all models of the earlier Jumo 211 inverted V, and the DB.603A had it placed at the portside, which was the standard side for every Daimler-Benz inverted V12 designs.
The Me.209 featured also a new tail section, wings, wide-track landing gear, taller tail and an annular radiator for the inline engine, giving this the engine a superficial resemblance to a radial engine and to the engine installation of a Focke-Wulf Fw.190D, which was powered by the same Jumo 213 engine model.
All those changes altered too much the original purpose of the aircraft which was to build a superior aircraft resembling the Bf.109G as much as possible.
The Me.209V-5 ,which coontrary to what the numberation could suggest was the first prototype, was armed with one 30mm Mk.108 motorkannone firing through the propeller hub and two 13mm MG 131 machine guns placed in the wing roots. The Me.209V-6 was the first one converted to use the Jumo 213 and was armed with a single 20mm MG.151/20 motorkannone gun and two 13mm MG 131 machine guns. There was a high-altittude variant, which also saw one prototype called Me.209H V1 with extended wings and DB 603 engine driving a four-bladed propeller.
The programme was abruptly cancelled when the Me.209V5 prototype flew for the first time in late 1943 and showed to be 50km/h (31mph) slower than the Fw.190D, which was already in service, and offered no improvement in handling characteristics. After its disappointing show, the Me.209 project was cancelled ending that way Messerschmitt's last attempt at building a high-performance piston-engined fighter.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_209_(1943)
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Messerschmitt Me.209

The Me.209 was used to name two different projects during World War II. The first was a single-engined racing aircraft which received barely any consideration for turning it into a fighter, and the second was a fighter that would be the successor to the famous Bf.109.
The Messerschmitt Me.209 was designed in 1937 as a completely separate aircraft designed to break speed records. It was powered, like the Bf.109E, by a Daimler-Benz DB.601 engine which, unlike when it was mounted on the Bf.109, it was steam-cooled.
It was designed by Willy Messerschmitt himself who chose to put the cockpit at the back of the fuselage, just in front of its unique cross-shaped tail section. It featured also a wide landing gear, which retracted inwards mounted in the wing section.
The aircraft managed to break a speed record when its pilot, Fritz Wendel, achieved the speed of almost 756km/h (469mph) on 26th April 1939 under the German civilian registration D-INJR. The record, performed by a propeller-driven aircraft, would remain unbeaten until 1969 when a heavily modified Grumman F8F Bearcat broke it. In terms of absolute speed, it was beaten some years later when, in October 1941 Heini Dittmar, piloting a prototype of the Me.163, achieved the speed of 1.004km/h (624mph).
During the Battle of Britain it was thought about adapting the aircraft for the fighter role as the Messerschmitt Bf.109E failed to gain aerial superiority over the Supermarine Spitfire. However, the Me.209 wasn't suitable for air combat as its wings were almost completely full by the engine cooling system, avoiding the installation of any weaponry there. It also proved to be difficult to handle and extremely hard to control on ground. Anyway, Messerschmitt tried various times to improve its performance by fitting longer wings, a taller vertical-stabilizer and placing two 7.92mm MG 17 machine guns in the engine cowling. However, as the additional armament added too much weight, it ended up being slower than the Bf.109E so the project was cancelled.
Nonetheless, Messerschmitt took advantage of its designation and used it for propaganda purposes, as they hoped that the name would be associated to the performance of the Bf.109 which was already in service, albeit if the Me.209 was just a single-purpose high-speed experimental prototype.
Back in 1939 the speed record achievement was used for a propaganda disinformation campaign as the aircraft (which flew for the first time some time after July 1938) was given the name of Messerschmitt Bf.109R (which was never used by any variant of the Bf.109) to give an image of invincibility to the Bf.109 which wasn't broken until the Battle of Britain.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_209
2. Salamander Books - The Complete book of fighters

Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui

Back in July 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification called 19-shi for a rocket-powered point-defence interceptor which had to be based on the Messerschmitt Me.163B.
The development of that fighter was assigned to Mitsubishi under the designation of J8M, but as it was a project shared with the Imperial Japanese Army, it received the designation of Ki.200 during its later service period and the name of Shûsui (meaning either 'Sword Stroke' or literally 'Autumn Water') was adopted.
Work on the Walter HWK 109-509 rocket motor (under the designation of Toku Ro.2) was adapted for Japanese manufacturing processes and as the data provided by the Germans regarding the airframe was inadequate, considerable structural design work had to be done.
In order to train the pilots, a full-scale mock-up wooden model was made called MXY8 'Akikusa' (meaning 'Autumn Grass') by the Imperial Navy Air Technical Arsenal at the city of Yokosuka and the first J8M made a non-powered flight on 8th January 1945. It wasn't until six months later that the prototype made a powered flight, on 7th July, but it was destroyed in a crash and no further flight testing was made for the rest of the war. A total of four J8M had been completed by that time and six more were almost completed.
It was powered by a Toku Ro.2 bi-fuel rocket engine capable of yielding 3307lb (1500kg) of thrust and was armed with two 30mm Type 5 cannons.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_J8M

Messerschmitt Me.163 'Komet'

During 1941 the Messerschmitt Me.163A V4 was tested in Peenemünde where it received a HWK RII-203 engine and by 2nd October set up a new world speed record reaching 1004.5km/h (624mph) at the hands of Heini Dittmar who managed to avoided damaging the aircraft. It served as the research aircraft that would be the basis for the Me.163B, which was designed by Alexander Lippisch and retained no more than the basic configuration of its predecessor.
It was a single-seat target-defence fighter.
Its designe was radical as it featured a constant 22.3 degrees of wing sweepback at quarter chord, it lacked horizontal tail surfaces and employed a jettisonable twin-wheel dolly for take-off and a retractable skid for landing.
A total of six prototypes and 70 pre-production aircrafts were ordered having each of them their own serial number. The first prototype, called Me.163B V1 was completed in April 1942 but its engine a Walter HWK R II-211 rocket engine, was delayed, so it wasn't until 23rd June 1943 that it performed a powered flight on the Me.163B V2. The bi-fuel rocket motor system, gave the engine a thrust of 3750lb (1750kg) delivered for just 7,5 minutes.
The pre-series aircraft, named Me.163Ba-1 was armed with two 20mm MG 151 and the Me.163B-1a was armed with two 30mm Mk108 cannons. The first production aircraft, which received the nickname of "Komet", was accepted by the Luftwaffe in May 1944 and a total of 279 were delivered.
Its service record proved to be dismal with an 80% of attrition resulting from taking-off or landing accidents and a 15% attributable to either fire in the air caused by an engine malfunction or loss of control in a dive. A development was proposed, called Me.163C, which differed from the Me.163B primarily from being powered by an HWK 509C rocket engine with an auxiliary cruise chamber which increased its endurance to 19 minutes. It was going to be armed with two 30mm Mk.103 and other two 30mm Mk.108 cannons, the fuselage was going to be extended by 90cm (35.4in) and an 'all-around' bubble canopy was provided.
Construction of this third version began in January 1943 with four prototypes and partial testing scheduled for April 1944, full-scale testing taking place in August 1944 and completion of testing by February 1945. However, as the war in Europe advanced, no example of Me.163C was eventually completed and flown.
The Me.163S variant was a trainer-glider version of the regular Me.163B which added a second seat behind the pilot. It was going to be employed to train glider landing training which was essential to handle the Me.163.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163_Komet
3. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/44863
4. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/3109
5. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/44866
6. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/28971

Messerschmitt Me.163 'Komet' - Foreign users

Germany wasn't the only operator of the Me.163 as it was used, mostly post-war by the following countries.

• United Kingdom: Twenty-one Me.163 were captured by the Royal Air Force at the end of the war but only three of them survived. The one depiceted below was sent to RAE Farnborough, where it was used as a glider, towed by a Spitfire as, apparently, the engine was damaged and couldn't ignite. It was used nonetheless for aerodynamic research and employed in an study for the feasibility of under-carriage-less naval fighters. At the end of the war it was repaired and was flown in different trials until 1947 when it was wrecked in a crash landing accident. 
• France: After the war the United Kingdom sent at least one Me.163 to France as a gift. After being repainted in French markings and tested at the CEV Bretigny. Many of the research made served for the upcoming French rocket-research aircraft like the Leduc 0.21. After testing it was sold to private owners, in this case a company called "Avions Lootrade", where it was employed as an acrobatic aircraft.
• Soviet Union: The USSR managed to capture many Me.163 during 1945 which were sent to the Research Institute for Aeronautics of the Soviet Air Forces (NII-VVS) where they were tested during 1945-1946. They tested not just the regular Me.163B-1b fighter but also the Me.163S version which was a two-seat training version and the aerodynamic research they got was used for later development of the earlier Soviet fighters.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163_Komet

2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

DFS 194

The DFS 194 was designed by Alexander Lippisch, on his Delta series of tailless designs. Originally it was conceived to be a tailless aircraft similar to the previous DFS 40 and was going to be powered by a piston engine driving a pusher propeller. The airframe was completed for that configuration in March 1938.
The Reichluftahrtministerium (RLM - Reich's Aviation Ministry) got interested in Lippisch's designs who believed that tailless aircraft fitted much better for rocket-powered fighters.
Lippisch and his team were transferred to Messerschmitt on 2nd January 1939, to begin the work on such fighter to proceed with what was known as "Project X". The airframe was modified to host a single Walter R I-203 rocket engine (designed by Hellmuth Walter) and by October it was already undergoing engine tests at Peenemünde.
Glide tests followed in early 1940 taking the first powered flights in August with Heini Dittmar at the controls. The flight went well, and with its 550km/h (340mph) it outrun the earlier Heinkel He.176 which was tested on 20th July 1939.
It proved to have excellent speed and handling capabilities and even proved to be safe to fly at double the anticipated speed. These results gave green light for the next stage of the project, which received priority status from the RLM with the Messerschmitt Me.163 (Which used this design as forerunner) flying for the first time the next year, in 1941.

Sources: 
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DFS_194

Bloch MB.700

When the political situation in Europe was degradating during mid-1930s, the French Air-Ministry became aware about a possible shortage of steel or light alloys and therefore they considered the non-hazardous materials as the basis for their aircrafts. Therefore the Service Technique de l'Aeronautique (Technical Aeronautical Service) issued an order for a light-fighter on 12th January 1937 called program A23. The requirements were for a fighter made out of wood and powered by engines less powerful than conventional fighters. For the contract Arsenal, Caudron and Bloch submitted their designs.
André Herbemont, who had studied every SPAD fighter since 1918, knew specially well the way of building fighters out of wood, and he couldn't miss the oportunity of working in such project. Blériot Aeronautique, a subsidiary of SPAD, based in the city of Suresnes, had been regrouped in SNCASO with the Société des Avions Marcel Bloch based at Courbevoie and Marcel Bloch, managing director of the national company, had maintaned the independence of the design offices after grouping them under his name. Therefore it was in Suresnes where André Herbemont studied and built the prototype of the Bloch MB.700.
The prototype, which was heavily inspired by the Bloch MB.152, was made out of plywood cladding, except for the rear fuselage which was made out of metal. Double-spar wings were installed and it was there where the fuel tanks were installed (326L - 86.12 US gal) and a retractable landing gear housing inwards. It was powered by a single radial Gnome et Rhône 14M-6 which delivered 700hp of power which drove a three-bladed propeller, but the prototype never had any weapons installed. It was expected to have the same weaponry of the Bloch MB.152 which was either two 20mm HS-404 guns or two 7.5mm MAC 1934 M-39 machine-guns housed in the wings.
The prototype was moved by road to Buc (where the STA performed their tests) and flew for the first time on 19th April 1940 at the hands of Daniel Rastel. It wasn't until 13th May when it flew again, at the hands of Rastel again. During that flight, which lasted for 50 minutes, it achieved a speed of 550 km/h (341.75mph), which was remarkable, considering the power of the engine. Tests continued after the French capitulation of June 1940 and, when the Germans occupied the town of Buc, the prototype had been flown for a total of 10.25 hours of flight. The prototype was destroyed by the Germans who thought the prototype was booby-trapped.
A second prototype which included some improvements, but it was never completed. A strengthned version, named MB.720 was also projected, but it never left the drawing board.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloch_MB.700 (translated)
2. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1555
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Savoia-Marchetti SM.92

Even if the preceding SM.91 showed satisfactory results when tested, the engineers of Savoia-Marchetti wanted to improve the performance of the aircraft. Given that it wasn't possible to increase the power output of the engines, as the Daimler-Benz DB 603 with a power of 1550hp wasn't yet available for Italian manufacture, the only possible way of achieving such improvement seemed the weight reduction.
By keeping the same engine types of the SM.91, the wing and the vertical stabilizers, the central gondola was discarded and moved it to the left fuselage giving that way an asymmetric looking to the aircraft.
It was armed with two 20mm MG.151/20 placed at the main central wing, a third one placed at the leading left-wing edge and two synchronised 12,7mm Breda-SAFAT machine-guns placed under each engine.
Unlike the SM.91, the landing gear at the back could be retracted and was placed in two nacelles, one in each fuselage. A third Breda-SAFAT was placed at the rear horizontal stablizer, between the two vertical stabilizers. This machine gun was remote-controlled by the second crew member.
It could carry a payload of up to 2000Kg. (4400lb) under the inner wing and an extra 160kg (350lb) could also be carried under the outer wings.
The prototype was tested two months after the Italian armistice, during the German occupation. It flew for the first time on 12th November 1943 with Comandante Aldo Moggi at the commands and with motorist Carlo Balzarini on board as the second crew member at the Vergiate airfield, in Lombardia. Both of them received the Luftwaffe's Cross of Iron.
Testing continued until the next year when, due to an identification fault, it was attacked by a Macchi C.205 of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (National Republican Air Force) piloted by Lieutenant Mazzei belonging to the Squadriglia "Montefusco", who had mistaken the aircraft with an American P-38 Lightning.
Due to the damage that the SM.92 took in the attack, the pilot had to perform a force-landing at Campo della Promessa (Promessa's airfield), close to Lonate-Pozzolo, where Moggi managed to minimized the damage done to the prototype. After the pertinent reparations made to the prototype, it flew again in June 1944 with a total of 21 flight-hours.
The only prototype was destroyed, together with the SM.91, by an American bombardment on 27th December 1944 which damaged seriously the installations of Savoia-Marchetti and the village of Vergiate.

Sources:
1. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_S.M.92 (translated)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_SM.92
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Savoia-Marchetti SM.91

The project of the SM.91 was born to a requirement from the Italian Air Ministry for a multi-role aircraft that could be used in the escort, fighter-bomber, ground-attack and quick reconnaissance roles.
The SM.91 was a heavily-armed, two-seater aircraft powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 605A rated each of them at 1475hp of power. It was one of the first all-metal aircraft manufactured by Savoia-Marchetti in order to achieve the best performance regardless of the cost. The central nacelle held the crew of two, and wings and tails were similar to the ones of the Savoia-Marchetti SM.88. It had a fuel capacity of 1600L (422.67 US Gal) that could be raised up to 1800L (475.5 US Gal) with external fuel tanks. It had a stimated range of 1600Km (900 milles). It achieved a top speed of 585km/h (363mph), which was better than the SM.88, the aircraft whose development was killed by the development of the SM.91.
It was armed with five 20mm MG 151 cannons, three of them placed in the nose and two of them in the wings, close the fuselage plus another two Breda-SAFAT 12,7mm machine guns, placed at the extreme of each wing. There was an extra MG 151 facing backwards which was operated by the rear gunner. It could carry a payload of 1640Kg (3620lb) of bombs placed under the wings or a torpedo.
The prototype, flew for the first time on 11th March 1943 at the hands of Aldo Moggi and the results were satisfactory. In fact, a second prototype was made from a modified SM.88.
Tests followed at the next month in Vergiate achieving a total of 27 flight hours. It was an advanced design which reminds to the American P-38 Lightning which served as inspiration as the Italian managed to capture one. However, it didn't pass official tests in Guidonia due to the Italian armistice in September 1943 because by that month, it was still undergoing testing. The first prototype was captured and sent to Germany in October 1943, after which its fate is unknown but it was most likely destroyed. The second prototype was captured incomplete by the Germans when they occupied Northern Italy in September 1943. It was tested on 10th July 1944 but it was destroyed shortly later that year.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_SM.91
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoia-Marchetti_S.M.91 (translated)
3. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/52645
4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters