Captured German Aircraft - Video

[RIOT]

Interesting video from an airshow showing captured aircraft during the late stages of the war.

http://one.revver.com/watch/398690/flv/affiliate/114857

 

[Ed Bass]

Great vid!

Best, Toots

 

[zaika]

That is a great video. Thank you.

 

[RIOT]

Welcome!

I was doing a search/research on FE-3400 Junkers Ju 290 A-7 (wkn 290110165) called "Alles Kaputt" and ran in to this interesting old video. Glad ya'll liked it.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

That is so great! Thanks!

Allies Kaput...HA!

 

[leaette]

That was a fantastic video! I just wish those planes were still in abundance at airshows these days. I'd love to get real close to a Stuka.

 

[LEUII]

Great video. 42 Russians. . .

 

[Twitch]

Neat old film! Hey are you talking about the Junkers EF 140 which was from the Ju 287? I've done immense research on advanced WW II weaponry if you need anything. That 4-engine ship was a FW-200 Condor not a Ju 290.

 

[RIOT]

Twitch – That 4-engine plane on the video is definitely the Junkers Ju290-A7. The modified nose-turret verifies it. Not the Focke-Wulf Fw200 (different tail).

I was particularly interested in a certain rare bird by the name of "Alles Kaputt". Was renamed FE-3400 c/n 290/0165 after her capture. Here she is in all her glory.

Do you happen to have any info as to why she was scrapped? Odd as to why, being that the Ju290-A7's was a rare sight even during it's Luftwaffe service.

 

[Haversack]

Related to the above, I recently came across a site that compiles all of the German drawing-board aircraft circa 1945.

http://www.luft46.com/

Some are truly weird like the assymetrical Blohm & Voss flying boat. Some clearly influenced US designs, (The A-10 Warthog in particular)

Haversack.

 

[Twitch]

Ok, yeah that's the 290. Didn't see the split tail. So may war prize aircraft were scrapped after evaluation. It was simply the trend. There was little perception of any of their roles in history and there weren't hordes of museums back then.

The A-6 went to Spain where it was used by naval forces till the mid 1950s when lack of spares grounded it and it was scrapped. The A-8 was assembled after the war around Prague. It was flown to France after transition to a 48 passenger transport but no serious interest ever developed and it sattill it was scrapped in 1956.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

So may war prize aircraft were scrapped after evaluation. It was simply the trend. There was little perception of any of their roles in history and there weren't hordes of museums back then.

That is very true. Very few people had the foresight to save these planes. I've done quite a bit of research on this topic. One of the articles I wrote is available here: http://www.dvhaa.org/newsletters/dvhaa-newsletter-07-summer.pdf

It's been very interesting to track down the history of some of these "war prizes" and do a "Where are they now" kind of article.

 

[Twitch]

Excellent article!!! There are several Arado Ar 234 jet bombers buried at the Patuxent River NAS also. There are super rare and valuable.

The rarest of all German prototypes, Ho 229 resides at the Smithsonian and allegedly is slated for retoration.

This craft was saved by accident when museum folks were at a salvage dealer for another plane and the owner asked if they were interested in "the old German flying wing."

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Wow! I can hardly wait to see that one!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I've been to the Garber Museum, (Now Closed) You can see some of the collection here: http://www.aviation-history.com/garber/vg-bldg/vindex.html
I last saw it about ten years ago when I had a private visit.

There are a few images of the german wing here:

http://www.aviation-history.com/garber/vg-bldg/horton_IX-4_f.html

 

[Absinthe_1900]

It's been very interesting to track down the history of some of these "war prizes" and do a "Where are they now" kind of article.

There are parts of a Focke FA-223 helicopter supposedly in your area. (Hint, XR-9 )

 

[RIOT]

Wow! Impressive!

* scratches head* If we had only pushed on with the flying wing design then instead of the P-80 and MIG-15 route we could have been looking at a whole new aircraft direction by now instead of 40 years too late.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Twitch]

For those not familiar with it here is some background-
FOCKE ACHGELIS GmbH
FA223
Dr. Heinrich Karl Johann Focke developed several helicopters that flew during WW II. The FA 269 tilt-rotor concept will be seen but there were several viable models of normal rotary wing craft too.

In late 1940, pilot Karl Bode flew the Fa 223 Drache (kite) V1 over to the Rechlin test center where its performance set a new world helicopter speed record of 113 MPH with a climb rate record of 1,732 feet per minute and an altitude record of 23,294 feet. In America 1944 Igor Sikorsky’s R-4B had a top speed of only 75 MPH with a ceiling of 8,000 feet.

Five versions were envisioned- an anti submarine helicopter carrying either two 550-lb. bombs or depth charges, a reconnaissance helicopter; for search and rescue; a transport helicopter; and a dual control trainer

The Fa 223 made 115 flights before a crash destroyed it. Other prototypes continued to test lift capabilities in field operations. 1,100 lbs. could be hauled 6,500 feet high in seven minutes. In actual combat conditions in February 1945 a 223 picked up a downed Bf 109 pilot near Danzig and overflew Russian forces to safety. The mission, commencing at Templhoff Airdrome, racked up 1,041 miles proving the machines usefulness.

At the war’s end a Luftwaffe pilot escaped to France then on to England making the first crossing of the English Channel by helo. Most of the Allies got their hands on surviving Fa 223 examples and the rest is history.

The Fa223 weighed 11,000 lbs. with its twin rotors spanning 39.3 feet in diameter. The fuselage was 40.2 feet long. Takeoff power came from a fan-cooled 1,000 HP BMW Bramo 323 9-cylinder radial aft of the cockpit. Normal output was 620 HP. It could cruise at 76 MPH for 435 miles with auxiliary fuel, had a 109 MPH top speed, a climb rate of 1,100 FPM and a ceiling of 16,000 feet. This type of performance would not be seen till much later in post-war machines.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

A captured FA-223.

The FA-223 was an interesting, though flawed early helicopter. (As were most early helicopters, but that is another story)

The first U.S. military helicopter, before Sikorsky's XR-4, with performance similar to the FA-223, but hampered by protracted development. (The FA-223 also suffered similar control problems.)

Second model at Wright Field 1944

 

[Story]

Excellent article!!! There are several Arado Ar 234 jet bombers buried at the Patuxent River NAS also. There are super rare and valuable.

I never knew that..

This Arado Ar.234B-2 was captured at Grove, Denmark and became part of Watsons Whizzers; the American unit tasked with collecting and assessing captured Axis aircraft. The Arado was sent to the US Naval Air Station at Patuxent River where it was given the name Snafu 1. After testing the aircraft was scrapped and dumped into the Patuxent River.

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/b/444/3/0