Unknown Luftwaffe aircraft

What’s actually really strange to me is that it’s too well made to be a fake. If so it’s the best fake pic I’ve ever seen.
It could well be a wartime fake, used for propaganda reasons, but it’s way too well built.. A curious thing on both pics is that the access ladder is facing the wrong direction…

Alex

The more I look at it, the more I think that it’s a mockup by the looks of the landing gear. The photo does look too good to be a fake – although one can’t rule that out. The exhaust stacks could be for an ‘X’ block engine. It just appears to be a mishmash of various other aircraft parts in the manner of the XP-75 Eagle.

Alan

..I dont know why, it’s just an impression, but when I look at the close up of the fuselage it makes me think of a Hs129..

Alex

I dont know Distiller..
What’s wrong with the exhaust pipes? the engine might have an unconventional layout, but u dont have too many details to define it “wrong”.
The 4 bladed propeller where used successfully on several late war planes, like the He177 (if memory serves..), so there’s nothing strange there too. The tail solution is pretty unconventional for a single engined plane, but the front view shows it’s well in the propwash. As per the CG.. what about the P-39?
The gearbox might be in the engine itself, with the shaft passing between the pilot’s legs. What’s actually really strange to me is that it’s too well made to be a fake. If so it’s the best fake pic I’ve ever seen.
It could well be a wartime fake, used for propaganda reasons, but it’s way too well built.. A curious thing on both pics is that the access ladder is facing the wrong direction…

Alex

This is a Me509/R2Yish fake.

The length/heigth ratio of the exhaust pipes are wrong.
That propeller is hilarious; besides it’s four-bladed, which is un-German; and prop and tail are two aerodynamic generations apart.
The CG of that thing would be simply wrong (look at the Me509 for comparison!).
No space for the gearbox.

Somebody played around with some Göppingen 9 concepts, a Heinkel 280, a Dornier 335, and a Tank 154.

Fake.

The undercarriage looks very like the ME262 V5. That prototype was the first (262)with tricycle undercarriage and the front wasn’t retractable – why bother when all you’re doing is testing the configuration?

My point – at least one other prototype German aircraft was created in similar vein to the mystery aircraft (or photo, as the case may be). If real I’d say it’s a test mock-up that need not ever have flown to fulfil whatever expectations were placed upon it. If not real, then the creator of this hoax is well versed in the possibilities.

who knows……????

Yikes! My apologies for not reading completely, I was looking at the BV-155 photo that you had posted and not the other one. Yes, that certainly is a peculiar aircraft. It looks like a cut and pasted conglomeration of various aircraft (for which of course one can find precendent). Is the original poster of the photos a reliable guy?

Which picture are you looking at? The contentious picture has been removed and is now displayed here:- http://p069.ezboard.com/fluftwaffeexperten71774frm15.showMessage?topicID=55.topic – together with a front view which should shoot-down those who say it is a He280…
The picture I was asking about does not appear to have any under wing radiators, probably does not have extended wing tips, has a mid mounted engine – unless the exhaust system has been removed to behind the cockpit – and, most importantly from a visual point of indentification, none of the plans I have ever seen for the Me/BV155 have shown it with a tricycle undercarriage. The only thing I do recognise from your description is the paddle-bladed props, which I mentioned in the first place…
Every source – despite the confusion over whether it was a Messerschmitt or a Blohm und Voss product – states that just one was completed and flown (V1), one was nearly completed (V2 – which is in America; apparently the fact that it does, in fact, have V2 stamped in areas that other German prototypes had such markings helps indentify it), and one was a kit missing parts (V3). Nowhere is there any indication that one was completed with a mid mounted engine on a tricycle undercarriage and with an ‘H’ tail assembly.

Flood

In fact, I would guess that it’s one of the three BV-155 prototypes – specifically the BV-155B. Check this website:http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/4082/int_air/bv155-1.htm

Which picture are you looking at? The contentious picture has been removed and is now displayed here:- http://p069.ezboard.com/fluftwaffeexperten71774frm15.showMessage?topicID=55.topic – together with a front view which should shoot-down those who say it is a He280…
The picture I was asking about does not appear to have any under wing radiators, probably does not have extended wing tips, has a mid mounted engine – unless the exhaust system has been removed to behind the cockpit – and, most importantly from a visual point of indentification, none of the plans I have ever seen for the Me/BV155 have shown it with a tricycle undercarriage. The only thing I do recognise from your description is the paddle-bladed props, which I mentioned in the first place…
Every source – despite the confusion over whether it was a Messerschmitt or a Blohm und Voss product – states that just one was completed and flown (V1), one was nearly completed (V2 – which is in America; apparently the fact that it does, in fact, have V2 stamped in areas that other German prototypes had such markings helps indentify it), and one was a kit missing parts (V3). Nowhere is there any indication that one was completed with a mid mounted engine on a tricycle undercarriage and with an ‘H’ tail assembly.

Flood

“squiggles”

not trying to be a proponent for the “they must be fake because we haven’t seen these pics before” contingent, but if you look carefully at the “squiggles” on the forward fuselage, it seems that they go OVER the handrail for the ladder…

I agree with the chap on the other site that made a comparison to the American’s putting fake props on the P-59’s; it would seem to go with the fact that this aircraft carries full camo and an individual number; perhaps this was an elaborate mock-up made for a never-produced propaganda film? Or Goering’s birthday? The real question is, will it be at Legends?

regards

greg v

In fact, I would guess that it’s one of the three BV-155 prototypes – specifically the BV-155B. Check this website:http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/4082/int_air/bv155-1.htm

I’d say that it’s legit. It has a paddle-bladed prop, extended wingtips, wing radiators and perhaps some sort of compressor (a guess) in the fuselage. I would say that it was a contender in the high altitude interceptor category with the BV-155 with which it shares features.

I think its a very convincing fake, except for the fact that if you take the usual very short engine exhausts on german engines….the crank case would end about where the pilots head should be…

Its an He-WTF.

I know of a Website that’s claiming copyright on quite a few photo’s that are actually Pathe stills

On what basis does he claim the copyright? Buying some prints at a car boot does not confer copyright.

Moggy

Agreed! It’s remarkable how many people sell prints and claim copyright. I know of an author who has had complaints of “using copyrighted photographs” from print sellers, when I know for a fact that he obtained the photographs and used them with the full permission of the photographer!

Ho hum… Forgot about LEMB; used to post the odd question on there and wait six months for a reply – and that usually turned out to be someone else asking a similar question.
In deference of the copyright holder I shall remove the picture: go to the above link for the picture.

Flood

Mind that I claim the copyright to these photo’s and publication or spreading them on the internet is not allowed without my written permission.

On what basis does he claim the copyright? Buying some prints at a car boot does not confer copyright.

Moggy

Ho hum… Forgot about LEMB; used to post the odd question on there and wait six months for a reply – and that usually turned out to be someone else asking a similar question.
In deference of the copyright holder I shall remove the picture: go to the above link for the picture.

Flood

There was a rather interesting debate about these photos at

http://p069.ezboard.com/fluftwaffeexperten71774frm15.showMessage?topicID=55.topic

If you plough through to the end of it (it starts to go off topic, though!), you’ll see that the answer was that there appears (as yet) to be no answer…

The He119…

The He280…

The He100…

Flood

He280 pre-production test bed ?