Messerschmitt Me 329

The Messerschmitt Me 329 was a design project for a heavy fighter and ground-attack aircraft, developed towards the end of World War II. It was a competitor and possible successor to the Me 410. Advanced features included the pilot and navigator sitting in tandem in a broad bubble canopy, and a remote-controlled rear gun in the tail. In spite of the futuristic design, the improvement in performance over the Me 410 was marginal. Development received a low priority, and while a full-scale glider was tested at Rechlin in the winter of 1944/5, work on the project was cancelled shortly after.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 7.715 m (25 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
• Height: 4.74 m (15 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 55 m² (590 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 6,950 kg (15,322 lb)
• Gross weight: 12,150 kg (26,786 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603G V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines 1,745 PS (1,721 hp; 1,283 kW)
• Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed pusher propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed: 685 km/h (426 mph, 370 kn) at 7,000 m (22,966 ft)
• Range: 2,520 km (1,570 mi, 1,360 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)

Armament

• Guns:
• 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons,
• 4 × 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons,
• 1 × MK 114 forward firing in fuselage nose
• 1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 rearward-firing
• Bombs:
• internal bomb load of up to 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)

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