Messerschmitt Me 329 (Zerstorer)

History

The German company Messerschmitt supplied some of the most famous combatants to the conflict of World War II (1939-1945). Their most famous product was the Bf 109, but the twin-engine Bf 110 proved operational throughout the war, and the company was also responsible for the world's first operational jet fighter, the Me 262 "Schwalbe" turbojet the design of.

However, its engineers didn't stop at these famous entries, as there are quite a few "paper" designs destined to never appear. One such product was the Me 329 project aircraft, which envisioned a heavy fighter jet capable of fighting enemy bombers at high altitudes.

Ground attack capabilities will also be built in, giving the platform some tactical flexibility.

The discerning reader will note the aircraft's role on the battlefield, targeting Allied bombers and advancing ground forces, meaning Germany is now clearly on the defensive in its European war.

The Me 329 only received attention in the second half of the war, and it was developed as a successor to Messerschmitt's other fighter-bomber product, the Me 410, which was introduced in 1943 (1,189 produced) with Make up for the constraints encountered in war. Have fought Me 210 before. In the new aircraft, engineers chose a pseudo-flying wing layout that would not fit a horizontal stabilizer.

Instead, the flat form is dominated by a large main aircraft wing area with a vertical tail at the rear. The nose is a two-seater cockpit and a twin-engine arrangement, with the engines located in the rear ("propeller" function).

The landing gear, movable and retractable, consists of three landing gear legs.

Two crew members (pilot/navigation gunner) will sit side-by-side in a staggered formation with excellent visibility for their aircraft in a pressurized cockpit under a heavy frame canopy. The fuselage profile is very smooth and the wings blend well with the fuselage. Power comes from two Daimler-Benz DB603G inline-piston engines, each producing 1,874 horsepower (Jumo 213 series engines are also mentioned), driving three-bladed propellers.

The engine will be buried in the wing to maintain aerodynamic efficiency - taking in intake from the air intake on the leading edge of the wing.

Estimated performance specs include a top speed of 425 mph, a range of up to 1,565 miles and a service ceiling of up to 41,000 feet.

The recorded dimensions are 7.7m long, 4.7m high and 17.5m wingspan. Due to metal shortages in Germany during the war, the construction would use a lot of wood and strive to keep the heavy fighter as light as possible.

In terms of weapons, the Me 329 does not disappoint. Its main battery consists of 4 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in the nose (above/below) and 2 x 30mm MK 108 cannons in the wing roots. To protect the aircraft's vulnerable "six" from approaching interceptors, a remote-controlled 20mm MG 151/20 would be positioned rearmost in the design and aimed aft (by the second crew member's periscope).

For ground attack roles, up to 2,200 pounds of conventional throwing weapons will be carried, possibly both internally and externally, the latter possibly at underwing hardpoints.

Project Me 329 was reportedly built as a partial wooden model to help determine the internal layout of various parts of the aircraft, while other sources also mention a form of glider that was actively tested in late 1944/early 1945. In any case, the Luftwaffe's "paper plane" seems to have had little success and, as it slowly developed, did not attract much interest.

As a result, the project was terminated before the end of the war, and Messerschmitt's more pressing concerns were addressed.

Specification

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