"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
04/28/2015 at 18:10 • Filed to: Heinkel 274
2
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"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
04/28/2015 at 18:10 • Filed to: Heinkel 274 | 2
| 9 |
On 26/4 + 2 we looked at the Messerschmitt 264, a candidate for the Amerika Bomber programme.
Another candidate, and a more promising one, was by happy coincidence the Heinkel 274. This, it must be understood, bore absolutely no resemblance to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Production of two prototypes was outsourced to Farman in France who had no apparent difficulties in building planes for the Third Reich, because business. The liberation of France put rather a stop to proceedings until after the war when the two planes were completed and used as high altitude aircraft and also as “mother ships” for air launched planes. Both planes were scrapped in 1953.
The eagle eyed may note the French markings which are thus explained.
DuckDraper
> Cé hé sin
04/28/2015 at 18:15 |
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Jesus that wingspan is huge!
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Cé hé sin
> DuckDraper
04/28/2015 at 18:17 |
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Yes, it was intended for extreme altitude. Not much lift in thin air so long wings. Think of a U2.
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DuckDraper
> Cé hé sin
04/28/2015 at 18:24 |
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Makes sense. Did you know about some of the crazier Amerika Bomber purposals like the Sanger Silverbird? It’s soo far ahead of its time.
http://www.luft46.com/misc/sanger.ht…
ttyymmnn
> DuckDraper
04/28/2015 at 19:33 |
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I have never seen that before. Fascinating. Thanks for the link.
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ttyymmnn
> Cé hé sin
04/28/2015 at 19:40 |
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Service ceiling:
47,000 feet.
Good lord! The B-29 was barely 32,000. If this thing had actually flown, it probably would have been all but untouchable. The P-51 could only muster 42,000 ft, and the P-38 only 44,000 ft. I can’t imagine bombing accuracy would have been all that good from that altitude, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Wow.
Viggen
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2015 at 21:28 |
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The P-80 could reach 46,000. A climbing attack with its .50s could have worked.
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ttyymmnn
> Viggen
04/28/2015 at 22:00 |
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The P-80 was pretty late in the game, though. But both aircraft would have been at their ceiling. It’s likely that any sort of actual operations would have taken place a bit lower. But still, it would have been a challenge for the US if this thing had seen service in numbers. Of course, as soon as it became a threat, we would have been working hard on something to shoot it down. It probably wouldn’t have taken long. Some sort of stripped down P-38 or something. It would have been something to see this behemoth in the air.
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Viggen
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2015 at 22:24 |
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Probably no less impressive than seeing a B-36 in flight.
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ttyymmnn
> Viggen
04/29/2015 at 10:00 |
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Perhaps, but the B-36 seems so much more modern than this aircraft, almost more a product of the ‘50s. This plane seems more a product of the ‘40s or even ‘30s. It’s almost got a “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” vibe about it.