Heinkel He 219

more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_219

The Heinkel He 219 Uhu ("Eagle-Owl") was a night fighter that served with the
German Luftwaffe in the later stages of World War II. A relatively sophisticated
design, the He 219 possessed a variety of innovations, including Lichtenstein
SN-2 advanced VHF-band intercept radar, also used on the Ju 88G and Bf 110G
night fighters. It was also the first operational military aircraft to be
equipped with ejection seats and the first operational German World War II-era
aircraft with tricycle landing gear. Had the Uhu been available in quantity, it
might have had a significant effect on the strategic night bombing offensive of
the Royal Air Force; however, only 294 of all models were built by the end of
the war and these saw only limited service. Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow was the leading
night fighter ace on the He 219. Modrow was credited with 33 of his 34 night air
victories on the type.

Design and development

Development and production of the He 219 was protracted and tortuous, due to
political rivalries between Josef Kammhuber, commander of the German night
fighter forces, Ernst Heinkel, the manufacturer and Erhard Milch, responsible
for aircraft construction in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM – the German
Aviation Ministry). The aircraft was also complicated and expensive to build;
these factors further limited the number of aircraft produced.

When engineer Robert Lusser returned to Heinkel from Messerschmitt, he began
work on a new high-speed bomber project called P.1055. This was an advanced
design with a pressurized cockpit, twin ejection seats (the first to be planned
for use in any combat aircraft), tricycle landing gear – featuring a nose gear
that rotated its main strut through 90° during retraction (quickly orienting the
nosewheel into the required horizontal position for stowage within the nose,
only at the very end of the retraction cycle) to fit flat within the forward
fuselage, and remotely controlled, side-mounted FDSL 131 defensive gun turrets
similar to those used by the Messerschmitt Me 210. Power was to be provided by
two of the potentially troublesome, dual-crankcase DB 610 "power system" engines
then under development, weighing on the order of about 1–?1/2 tonnes apiece,
producing (2,200 kW/2,950 hp) each, delivering excellent performance with a top
speed of approximately 750 km/h (470 mph) and a 4,000 km (2,500 mi) range with a
2,000 kg (4,410 lb) bomb load.


Role
Night fighter

Manufacturer
Heinkel

Designer
Robert Lusser

First flight
6 November 1942

Introduction
1943

Status
Retired

Primary user
Luftwaffe

Number built
~300

Variants
Hütter Hü 211

Operational history

The He 219 had an auspicious combat debut. On the night of 11–12 June 1943,
Werner Streib flew the V9 and shot down five bombers between 01:05 and 02:22
hours, before crashing on landing. Claims have been made that, "In the next ten
days the three Heinkel He 219A-0 pre-production aircraft [shot] down a total of
20 RAF aircraft, including six of the previously "untouchable" de Havilland
Mosquito fighter-bombers. Greatly encouraged, Kammhuber continued to press for
immediate production." No record of corresponding Mosquito losses or any
documentary evidence exists that He 219 pilots claimed six Mosquitos.

The first major production series was the He 219 A-0, although initially the
pre-production series, it matured into a long running production series, due to
numerous changes incorporated into the design, along with the cancellation of
several planned variants. Production problems as a result of Allied bombing in
March meant the A-0 did not reach Luftwaffe units until October 1943. The A-0
was usually armed with two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and up to
four 20 mm or 30 mm cannon in a ventral weapons bay. The first 10–15 aircraft
were delivered with the 490 MHz UHF-band FuG 212 "Lichtenstein" C-1 radar with a
4 × 8-dipole element Matratze antenna array. 104 He 219 A-0s were built until
the summer of 1944, the majority of them at EHW (Ernst Heinkel Wien) or
Heinkel-Süd in Wien-Schwechat.

The He 219 was a capable fighter aircraft and the pilots were free to hunt down
any detected Allied bombers. Ground control sent the aircraft into the right
area, where the pilots took over and guided themselves towards the bombers with
the Lichtenstein VHF radar's information. The SN-2 radar's 4 km (3 mi) maximum
detection range was greater than the distance between the bombers. While the
performance of the A-2 was not extraordinary—approximately 580 km/h (360 mph)
speed—it was enough of an advance over the Messerschmitt Bf 110Gs and Dornier Do
217Ns, for the crew to chase several bombers in a single sortie.

To improve its ability to intercept the Mosquito, the He 219 had excess weight
removed. With some weapon and radio systems removed, the aircraft was able to
attain a speed of 650 km/h (400 mph). This version was given the designation
A-6. None of these were produced, but similar weight saving measures could be
undertaken at the unit level.

Specifications (He 219 A-7)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 15.33 m (50 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 18.5 m (60 ft 8 in)
Height: 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 44.5 m2 (479 sq ft)
Airfoil: root: He 2 37 16.8–0.715–36.6 ; tip: He 2 37 12-0.715–36.6
Empty weight: 11,200 kg (24,692 lb)
Gross weight: 15,300 kg (33,731 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603E or DB 603A V-12 inverted liquid-cooled
piston engines
Propellers: 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propeller

Performance
Maximum speed: 670 km/h (420 mph, 360 kn) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 540 km/h (340 mph, 290 kn)
Range: 1,545 km (960 mi, 834 nmi)
Ferry range: 2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,700 m (41,700 ft)

Armament

Guns:
2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon in a detachable fairing under the
fuselage, 300 rpg
2 × 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon in wing roots, 300 rpg
2 × 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon, Schräge Musik (oriented 65° above
horizontal), 100 rpg




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