Messerschmitt Bf/Me 109 - Blohm & Voss Bv 155 Projects & Prototypes

From my files,

the concept of building twin-aisle combat aircraft as a combination of
existing single-aisle designs - for this reason called Zwilling (= twin) -
was tested in practice in the early 1940s, with the construction of a five-
engine aircraft for towing heavy transport gliders, the Heinkel He 111Z.
The creator of this idea was Generaloberst Ernst Udet. Based on the same
idea, in 1942 the Messerschmitt factory proposed the development of a
twin-aisle heavy fighter (so-called Zerstörer ), a combination of two
standard Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 fighters. The new aircraft, designated
Bf 109Z-1 (Z for Zwilling or Zerstörer), was intended by its designers to
be the successor to the twin-engine Bf 110 destroyer. The two fuselages
were to be connected by a new center wing containing two undercarriage
bays, two glycol coolers, a universal ETC 250 bomb hook, and gunnery.
The horizontal tail was modified, eliminating the previous stabilizers and
replacing them with a common stabilizer connecting both fuselages.
Since the aircraft was to be a single-seater, the pilot's cabin was retained
in the left fuselage, while the cabin in the right fuselage was eliminated,
covering its bay with a sheet metal and installing an additional fuel tank
in it. The aircraft's very powerful armament was to consist of five 20 mm
Mauser MG 151/20 cannons or, ultimately, 30 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig
MK 108 or MK 103 cannons. The abandonment of machine guns allowed
for an increase in the ammunition supply for the cannons. The preliminary
design was accepted by representatives of the Technisches Amt des RLM
and at the end of 1942, the factory began building the first experimental
model.

According to some older publications, the prototype Bf 109Z-0 (or
Bf 109Z V1 ) was built in the second half (according to other sources,
in the beginning) of 1943, using two examples of the older Bf 109F-4
version with Daimler-Benz DB 601E-1 engines of 992 kW (1,350 hp) each.
Its takeoff weight was supposedly 5,897 kg. This aircraft - if it existed at all -
was never flown, as it was supposedly destroyed during one of the Allied
bombing raids. In addition to the initial fighter version of the Bf 109Z-1,
it was planned to develop further development variants: the bomber
Bf 109Z-3 , based - like the Z-1 - on the airframes of the Bf 109G-6
version with Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 engines, armed with four 30 mm
cannons and 500 kg of bombs (according to some publications, this
variant was designated Z-2), the heavy fighter (destroyer) Bf 109Z-2 ,
based on the airframes of the Bf 109H-2 version with Junkers Jumo 213E
engines, armed with five 30 mm cannons and 500 kg of bombs (according
to some publications, this variant was designated Z-3) and the bomber
Bf 109Z-4 , also based on the airframes of the Bf 109H-2 version with
Junkers Jumo engines. 213E and armed with only two 30 mm cannons,
but as many as 1,000 kg of bombs. However, all design work on the
Bf 109's "twin" was finally stopped in 1944, probably due to the factory's
efforts being concentrated on the development and production of the
more needed Luftwaffe twin-engine jet aircraft Me 262 "Schwalbe" .

Finally, it is worth mentioning that at the same time as the Bf 109Z,
Messerschmitt designers were also working on the design of another
twin-fuselage heavy fighter - the Me 609. This aircraft was to be a
combination of two Me 309 aircraft. It seems likely, therefore, that the
Bf 109Z could have been just the first stage of the experiment, while the
more modern Me 609 was intended for eventual serial production. But
that is a slightly different story
 
hesham said:
From my files,

the concept of building twin-aisle combat aircraft as a combination of
existing single-aisle designs - for this reason called Zwilling (= twin) -
was tested in practice in the early 1940s, with the construction of a five-
engine aircraft for towing heavy transport gliders, the Heinkel He 111Z.
The creator of this idea was Generaloberst Ernst Udet. Based on the same
idea, in 1942 the Messerschmitt factory proposed the development of a
twin-aisle heavy fighter (so-called Zerstörer ), a combination of two
standard Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 fighters. The new aircraft, designated
Bf 109Z-1 (Z for Zwilling or Zerstörer), was intended by its designers to
be the successor to the twin-engine Bf 110 destroyer. The two fuselages
were to be connected by a new center wing containing two undercarriage
bays, two glycol coolers, a universal ETC 250 bomb hook, and gunnery.
The horizontal tail was modified, eliminating the previous stabilizers and
replacing them with a common stabilizer connecting both fuselages.
Since the aircraft was to be a single-seater, the pilot's cabin was retained
in the left fuselage, while the cabin in the right fuselage was eliminated,
covering its bay with a sheet metal and installing an additional fuel tank
in it. The aircraft's very powerful armament was to consist of five 20 mm
Mauser MG 151/20 cannons or, ultimately, 30 mm Rheinmetall-Borsig
MK 108 or MK 103 cannons. The abandonment of machine guns allowed
for an increase in the ammunition supply for the cannons. The preliminary
design was accepted by representatives of the Technisches Amt des RLM
and at the end of 1942, the factory began building the first experimental
model.

According to some older publications, the prototype Bf 109Z-0 (or
Bf 109Z V1 ) was built in the second half (according to other sources,
in the beginning) of 1943, using two examples of the older Bf 109F-4
version with Daimler-Benz DB 601E-1 engines of 992 kW (1,350 hp) each.
Its takeoff weight was supposedly 5,897 kg. This aircraft - if it existed at all -
was never flown, as it was supposedly destroyed during one of the Allied
bombing raids. In addition to the initial fighter version of the Bf 109Z-1,
it was planned to develop further development variants: the bomber
Bf 109Z-3 , based - like the Z-1 - on the airframes of the Bf 109G-6
version with Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 engines, armed with four 30 mm
cannons and 500 kg of bombs (according to some publications, this
variant was designated Z-2), the heavy fighter (destroyer) Bf 109Z-2 ,
based on the airframes of the Bf 109H-2 version with Junkers Jumo 213E
engines, armed with five 30 mm cannons and 500 kg of bombs (according
to some publications, this variant was designated Z-3) and the bomber
Bf 109Z-4 , also based on the airframes of the Bf 109H-2 version with
Junkers Jumo engines. 213E and armed with only two 30 mm cannons,
but as many as 1,000 kg of bombs. However, all design work on the
Bf 109's "twin" was finally stopped in 1944, probably due to the factory's
efforts being concentrated on the development and production of the
more needed Luftwaffe twin-engine jet aircraft Me 262 "Schwalbe" .

Finally, it is worth mentioning that at the same time as the Bf 109Z,
Messerschmitt designers were also working on the design of another
twin-fuselage heavy fighter - the Me 609. This aircraft was to be a
combination of two Me 309 aircraft. It seems likely, therefore, that the
Bf 109Z could have been just the first stage of the experiment, while the
more modern Me 609 was intended for eventual serial production. But
that is a slightly different story
Click to expand...
Brilliant, thank you. Those bomber variants would've been something! Also, and @newsdeskdan can probably shine more light on this than me, but I think the Me-609 designation was actually something for an Me-262 (I think a prototype? not sure exactly).
 
sienar said:
I believe it was a cover designation for the 262
View attachment 759207
Click to expand...

I don't know if 'cover designation' is quite the right term. Basically, an Me 609 was an Me 262 built at Regensburg. Construction documents from Regensburg, or about Regensburg, refer to Me 262 production using '8-609'. It's not entirely clear why. But there are a lot of documents referring to the Me 609 and they all refer to Me 262 production at Regensburg.

That Glossary of German Aeronautical codes is just terrible btw. Whoever compiled it simply threw in every number they could lay their hands on - including numbers resulting from typos and misreadings of other numbers. Please disregard it!
 
Airborne2001 said:
Brilliant, thank you. Those bomber variants would've been something! Also, and @newsdeskdan can probably shine more light on this than me, but I think the Me-609 designation was actually something for an Me-262 (I think a prototype? not sure exactly).
Click to expand...

The Me 109 Z was created as a fast bomber - that was its intended role. But it never reached the point of sub-types being derived from it. You only get 'A-0', 'A-1' etc. once an aircraft is the subject of a production contract.

If you see 'A-1', 'A-2' (or indeed 'Z-1', 'Z-2') etc. for anything that wasn't scheduled for production at any point, such as the Me 109 Z, I would regard it with at least a degree of scepticism.
 
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