Messerschmitt Me P.1102/5

    During the summer of 1944, the Messerschmitt Me P.1102 series was being developing at the same time as the Me P.1101 project. Both were swing-wing designs, except the P.1102 was being developed as a fast bomber and heavy fighter.
     The variable-sweep wings were mounted in the center of the fuselage and could be swept between 15 and 50 degrees. For takeoff and landing the wings were to be set at 20 degrees and for high speed flight the wings were to be set at the maximum of 50 degrees. The tail unit was of a normal configuration, with the tail planes swept back at 60 degrees.
     Three jet engines powered the Me P.1102, two were located beneath the fuselage nose and one was located in the tail (an air intake on the top of the rear fuselage fed this turbojet). Either three BMW 003 or Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 jet engines were to be employed. A single pilot sat in a cockpit located in the forward fuselage and three fuel tanks of 1200 liter capacity each were located behind the cockpit.  The lower fuselage held an internal bomb bay and the tricycle landing gear.  No armament was designated at this stage in the design.
     The end of the war ended work on this design. All Messerschmitt documentation was seized by the US and was used in the  development of several aircraft, possibly including the Martin XB-51. This US aircraft which first flew in 1949 also shared the same engine arrangement as the Me P.1102.

Messerschmitt Me P.1102/5 Data
Wing Area Range* Max. Speed
27.0 m²
290.6 ft²
 1900 km
1180 miles
 1010 km/h
627 mph
* with 3000 kg (6612 lbs) bomb load

Messerschmitt Me P.1102/5 Models
There are no models of the Messerschmitt Me P.1102/5  available at the present time

This surviving three-view drawing shows some internal details


Two photos of the Martin XB-51 - note the similar engine layout to the Messerschmitt Me P.1102/5





Above color illustration from Geheimprojekte der Luftwaffe Band III - Schlachtflugzeuge und Kampfzerstörer 1935-1945