Germany's Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking" reconnaissance flying boat

Photos

Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking":

Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking":

Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking": US Army Airforces4

Blohm und Voss Bv 222 "Wiking":

Design

The Bv 222 was designed to fulfill a 1937/1938³ Deutsche Lufthansa requirement for a cross Atlantic flying boat.² It was also the largest flying boat used in World War II.³

Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH) ordered three Bv 222s in September 1939 to be used as a 24 berth transatlantic liner.^1,3

Was initially powered by six BMW Bramo Fafnir 323 R radial engines.¹

To build a Bv 222 required 35,000 man hours.¹

The hull was a corrosion resistant alloy which was from 1/8" - 1/2" / 3 - 5 mm in thickness.¹

Wings

The wings were placed high in the fuselage.⁴

Armament

Some BV-222s were outfitted with search radar and powered gun turrets for use in long-range reconnaissance in the Atlantic to work with the U-Boats.¹

There were gun blisters on each side of the fuselage and turrets in the nose and tail.⁴

Prototype

The Bv 222V-1 prototype flew on September 7, 1940 but with the war, DLH no longer needed them.^1,2,3 The first prototype flew its first cargo flight to Norway in July 1941.^1,3

Production

• Blohm und Voss Bv 222C: 4³
• Total: 13²
  • Manufacturer: Blohm und Voss Schiffswerft Abteilung Flugzeugbau³
  • Production: ? - 1944³

Variants

• Blohm und Voss Bv 222V-1, Blohm und Voss Bv 222V-2, Blohm und Voss Bv 222V-3: Prototypes with machine guns in various positions.¹
• Blohm und Voss Bv 222V-7: Flew in April 1943 with six Junkers Jumo 207C diesel engines.^1,2
• Blohm und Voss Bv 222A: had 2 turrets in the outer wings armed with 20 mm guns.¹
• Blohm und Voss Bv 222B: Was proposed to be a civilian transport.² None built.²
• Blohm und Voss Bv 222C-09 to Blohm und Voss Bv 222 C-012: Pre production models.² Appeared in early 1943.³
• Blohm und Voss Bv 222C-013: Production model.²

Usage

The first three prototypes and five pre-production vehicles formed the Luft-Transportstaffel (See) 222.¹

In October 1943 a Bv 222 shot down a Lancaster over the Atlantic.¹

The Bv 222 was used for transportation in the Mediterranean and by the end of 1942 carried 1,377 tons of cargo, 17,000 troops, and 2,400 casualties.¹ All seven Bv 222s carried a total of 3,496 tons of cargo, 37,500 troops, and 5,169 wounded in 1942 on all fronts.³

It was found that the Bv 222 was rather vulnerable to attack after two were shot down and one damaged while in use in the Mediterranean.³ After this most flights were conducted at night.

France

The Bv 222s were then sent to France to be used as reconnaissance planes.³ They weren't very successful and were returned to being transports.³

Survived

Seven survived the war and two (Bv 222 C-011 and Bv 222 C-013³) were flown to the United States for evaluation.^1,2 Bv 222 C-012 was captured by the British in Norway.³

Specifications

	Blohm and Voss Bv 2222	Blohm und Voss Bv 222 A3	Blohm and Voss Bv 222C1
Type	Transport flying boat2, Reconnaissance flying boat2	Reconnaissance3	Reconnaissance flying boat1, Transport1
Crew	112	113	61 Pilots (2), flight engineers (2), navigator, radio operator1
Passengers	1102
Engine (Type)	6: BMW Bramo Fafnir 323R2, 6: BMW4	6: BMW 323 R-23	6: Junkers Jumo 207C inline diesel1,3
OR	6: Junkers Jumo diesel2
Cylinders	BMW: Radial 92 Junkers: Inline2	Radial 93
Cooling	BMW: Liquid4	Air3
HP	BMW: 1,000 each2,4 Junkers: 980 each2	1,000 each3	1,000 each1,3
Propeller blades
Dimensions
Span	150'4, 150' 11"2 46 m2	150' 11"3	150' 11"1 46 m1
Length	112'4, 121' 4.5"2 37 m2	119 9"3	121' 5"1 37 m1
Height	35' 9"2 10.9 m2	35' 9"3	35' 9"1 10.9 m1
Wing area			2,745 ft2 1 255 m2 1
Weight
Empty			67,570 lb2, 67,572 lb1 30,650 kg1,2
Loaded	100,000 lb4	100,530 lb3	108,026 lb2, 108,027 lb1 49,000 kg1,2
Performance
Speed	200 mph4	193 mph3
Speed @ 16,400' / 5,000 m			242 mph1,2 389 kph2, 390 kph1
Cruising speed			214 mph2 344 kph2
Climb
Service ceiling		21,325'3	23,950'1,2 7,300 m1,2
Range		4,350 miles3	3,787 miles1, 3,790 miles2 6,095 km1, 6,100 km2
Maximum endurance			28 hours2
Armament		3: MG3 3: 20 mm3	1: 20 mm3 3: 20 mm MG 1511 5: 13 mm3 5: 13 mm MG 1311
Dorsal turret(s)	1: 20 mm2
Wing turrets	1: 20 mm2		2: 20 mm3
Bow	1: 13 mm2
Beam positions	4: 7.92 mm MG2