Experimental Feature On Bomber

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South
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Experimental Feature On Bomber

#1

Post by South » 04 Jun 2009, 16:44

Good morning all,

In a trivia-type questions and answers section (page 110) of the May 2009, AOPA Pilot Magazine (www.aopa.org) is a question that should prove of interest to this section's forum participants:

"1. From reader John Schmidt: Under what circumstances might a German secret agent during World war II have found himself strapped to the wing of a dive bomber?"

[the answer at page 123]:

"The Junkers JU-87D-3 Stuka dive bomber was evaluated with a personnel pod mounted above each wing. The pods could be released during a shallow dive and be 'paradropped' to deliever secret agents behind enemy lines. The scheme, however, never became operational (to the relief of said agents)."

Warm regards,

Bob

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Ironmachine
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#2

Post by Ironmachine » 04 Jun 2009, 19:32

A picture of the Ju-87D-3 with the wing-mounted personnel pods, from the book Combat Legend - Ju 87 Stuka.
Each pod could carry 2 men. Interestingly, I have previously seen references to the pods being able to be released in a dive and deploy parachutes for landing (though apparently they were never paradropped), the photo caption in this book states that they were non-jettisonable.
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Ironmachine
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#3

Post by Ironmachine » 05 Jun 2009, 08:43

Another picture, this one from Warplanes of the Luftwaffe. The book has the following information:
One of the most striking test programmes concerned one Ju 87D-3 fitted with large streamlined overwing passenger cabins. The idea was the the Ju 87, an aircraft well used to front-line operations, should become a vehicle for putting down agents behind enemy front lines. The trials programme got under way in early 1944 at the Graf Zeppelin Research Institute at Ruit, and the final design of cabin seated two men in tandem, both facing forward, with ample side windows which gave the pilot some lateral vision. In a shallow dive, the two pods were to be pulled off the wing by streaming large parachutes, but there is no record of this actually being done, although the pods were flown with passengers.
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phylo_roadking
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#4

Post by phylo_roadking » 10 Jun 2009, 22:25

although the pods were flown with passengers.
...handcuffed??? :lol:

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Juha Tompuri
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#5

Post by Juha Tompuri » 10 Jun 2009, 22:44


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Ironmachine
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#6

Post by Ironmachine » 31 Aug 2009, 13:48

It seems that there were at least two different versions of the personnel pods.
From http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/bor ... halter.htm:
pods.pdf
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Ironmachine
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Re: Experimental Feature On Bomber

#7

Post by Ironmachine » 31 Aug 2009, 13:52

And other aircraft flied with them, too. Here a Klemm 25 with wing pods:
http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/klemm/kl25_ag.jpg

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