Blohm + Voss BV 246
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.
The BV 246 "Hagelkorn" (Hailstone) developed by Blohm & Voss, was a guidable glide bomber, developed to bomb specific targets (bridges, ships, etc.) once it was released.
This glider was designed by Dr. Richard Vogt, at first under the designation of "BV 226", which was later changed to its definitive designation "BV 246" on December 12, 1943.
It was usually atached to the lower part of a bomber, like a Heinkel He 111, and was released at high altitude close enough to its target. This allowed the carrier aircraft to stay out of anti-aircraft fire range.
The construction of the BV 246 was very simple, and therefore it was mass produced. It had simple aerodynamics, with large aspect ratio wings that made possible a glide ratio of 25:1. It had a cross section tail "+" in an early version and a double vertical tail mounted in the sides of a wide horizontal stabilizer in a later version.
When released from a height of 10500 m, it could achieve a range of 210 km .
Its total weight was 730 kg, and 435 kg of it were explosives.
[edit] See also
- Blohm + Voss BV 40, glider interceptor
