Blohm & Voss BV 238

The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a German flying boat built during World War II. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built when it first flew in 1944, and was the largest aircraft produced by any of the Axis powers during World War II.

Although extensive defensive armament was planned the first prototype, the BV 238 V1, had none. Bearing the radio code of RO + EZ, it began flight trials in April 1944. It was strafed and partially sunk while moored on Lake Schaal, to the east of Hamburg.

One other prototype was effectively completed but never flown and two more were under construction at the end of the war.

General characteristics

• Crew: ca 12
• Length: 43.35 m (142 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 60.17 m (197 ft 5 in)
• Height: 12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 360.16 m² (3,876.7 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 54,780 kg (120,769 lb)
• Gross weight: 90,000 kg (198,416 lb) for reconnaissance missions 95,000 kg (209,439 lb) for bomber missions
• Max takeoff weight: 100,000 kg (220,462 lb)
• Powerplant: 6 × Daimler-Benz DB 603G inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,417 kW (1,900 hp) each for take-off
  1,163 kW (1,560 hp) at 7,375 m (24,196 ft)
• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn) at 60,000 kg (132,277 lb) weight at sea level 425 km/h (264 mph) at 60,000 kg (132,277 lb) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft)
• Landing speed: 143 km/h (77 kn, 89 mph)
• Range: 6,620 km (4,110 mi, 3,570 nmi) at 365 km/h (227 mph) at 92,000 kg (202,825 lb) at 2,000 m (6,562 ft)
• Service ceiling: 7,300 m (24,000 ft)
• Wing loading: 261 kg/m² (53 lb/sq ft)

Armament

• Guns: 8 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 1,800 rpg; 4 in each nose and tail turret 8 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 900 rpg; 4 in each wing mounted turret 4 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg; 2 (as a twinned MG 131Z) in each manually aimed beam/waist position 2 x 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 autocannon with 1,400 rpg in forward dorsal turret
• Bombs: 20 x 250 kg (551 lb) SC 250 bombs in wing bomb bays and 4 x 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) SC 1000 bombs on external racksor 2 x 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) LD 1200 torpedoes on external racksor 4 x Henschel Hs 293 missiles on external racks, if Bv 238 fitted with FuG 203 KehlMCLOS guidance transmitteror 2 x 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) BV 143 glide bombs on external racks

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