Messerschmitt Me P.1090 "Modular Aircraft"
This Messerschmitt
design dates from early 1943, and was an attempt at making a "modular"
aircraft. Basically, the idea behind this project was for whole sections
of fuselage, wings or other components which could be exchanged for other
sections to make a "new" aircraft for different roles. Some of the roles
envisioned were to be:
-
single-seat heavy fighter
-
twin-seat heavy fighter
-
strike fighter
-
high-altitude fighter
-
nightfighter
|
-
high-speed bomber
-
dive bomber
-
torpedo bomber
-
fighter-bomber
-
reconnaissance
|
Approximately the
size of a Messerschmitt Me 410 (span: 16.39 m, length: 12.56 m), the P.1090
could be powered by either two Daimler Benz 603G 12- cylinder piston engines
(2000 horsepower each) or two turbojets (probably Jumo 004s). By the use
of Rüstsätze (field conversion sets), different configurations
could be achieved (please see table below). All fuel
was to be carried in the wings with the exception of those configurations
that would carry extra fuel in the center fuselage section. The empty weight
ranged from 5.5 to 8 metric tons, and the takeoff weight could go as high
as 11.5 metric tons. On both the piston and jet powered versions, the twin
wheeled main landing gear would retract into the engine nacelles. The piston-powered
aircraft featured a retractable tail wheel; the jet powered example used
a front wheel tricycle gear arrangement. Top speed was estimated to be
in the neighboorhood of 500-775 km/h for the DB 603-powered aircraft, and
1010 km/h for the Jumo 004-powered version.
Messerschmitt
built a wooden mockup with modular sections that could be swapped out to
prove his concept to the RLM, but nothing ever came of this novel arrangement.
The only surviving drawing is shown below.
Modular Configurations
Section |
Changes |
cockpit |
single or twin seats, different armament packages |
fuselage center |
photographic, bomb bay, extra fuel |
rear fuselage |
different radio, navigation or rescue equipment |
outer wing |
increase wing area from 28 m² to 31 m² or 36 m² |
engines |
either DB 603G or Jumo 004 |
drawing label translations by Andres Valdre