Unusual aircraft photo

[FourWheelDrift]

This photo is from here - http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/

It shows a Heinkel He-111Z glider tug but it appears to be followed by 2 De Havilland Vampires. I thought they could be Swedish Saab J-21s but they entered service in December 1945. Did the RAF test the 5 engined Z after the war? They don't seem to look like any of the WWII German gliders, with that twin boom layout.



What do you think they are?

[Zaxxon]

German assault gliders

Gotha 242's or like that.

[FourWheelDrift]

Ah, didn't find that one.

Thanks.

[Sam the Mut]

[Eric Mc]

I am pretty sure they are these under tow -



They are Gotha Go-242 gliders.

[Eric Mc]

For the record, the Germans did have a very Vampire looking project, but it was never proceeded with beyond engineering drawings -



The Focke Wulf Flitzer.

[Zaxxon]

Eric Mc said:

For the record, the Germans did have a very Vampire looking project, but it was never proceeded with beyond engineering drawings -



The Focke Wulf Flitzer.

Looks very much like those engineering drawings ended up in the De Havilland design offices soon after the war. There are definate design synergies with the Venom.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Zaxxon said:

Looks very much like those engineering drawings ended up in the De Havilland design offices soon after the war.

Possibly, but remember that the Venom was the direct descendant of the Vampire, upon which design/development started in mid 1942.

I think this is more an example of convergence - as jet engines became more powerful, then single engined types could be developed. Given the need for a short jet pipe to minimise power losses from these early jets (and thus a short fuselage in a single engined design) then the options of the time were really either a twin boom design as here or (with a more conventional fuselage) a 'piggy back' design as per the He 162.

[Tango13]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Zaxxon said:

Looks very much like those engineering drawings ended up in the De Havilland design offices soon after the war.

Possibly, but remember that the Venom was the direct descendant of the Vampire, upon which design/development started in mid 1942.

I think this is more an example of convergence - as jet engines became more powerful, then single engined types could be developed. Given the need for a short jet pipe to minimise power losses from these early jets (and thus a short fuselage in a single engined design) then the options of the time were really either a twin boom design as here or (with a more conventional fuselage) a 'piggy back' design as per the He 162.

Twin boom pusher designs are as old as the aircraft industry itself. Vickers were fond of twin boom designs back in WW1, Fokker flew the D XXIII in May 1939 and the Russians built the Moskalev Sam-13 not long after. The Swedes designed the J-21 in 1941 with a piston engine before fitting a licence built Goblin which IIRC gives it the distinction of being the only fighter to be built with a piston and jet engine. Even the Americans built one, the XP-54 which was a real monster being nearly twice the size of a P-51 Mustang.

So in reality it was inevitable that when the first jet engines became available they would be tried out in every configeration previously tried to see what worked and what didn't.