Heinkel Lerche

The Heinkel 'Lerche' (German:"Lark") was the name of a set of project studies made by German aircraft designers Heinkel in 1944 and 1945 for a revolutionary VTOL fighter and ground-attack aircraft.

The Lerche was an early coleopter design. It would take off and land sitting on its tail, flying horizontally like a conventional aircraft. The pilot would lie prone in the nose. Most remarkably, it would be powered by two counter-rotating propellers which were contained in a donut-shaped annular wing.

The remarkably futuristic design was developed starting 1944 and concluding in March 1945. The aerodynamic principles of an annular wing were basically sound, but the proposal was faced with a whole host of unsolved problems of manufacture and control which would have made the project highly impractical even were it not for the materials shortages of late World War Germany.

pecifications (Lerche II)

:Figures below are given for the 'Lerche II' plan dated 25th Feb 1945.aircraft specifications
plane
prop
ref=
crew=one, pilot
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 10.00 m to wheels
length alt=32 ft 10 in
span main=4.55 m max width
span alt= 14 ft 11 in
height main=
height alt=
area main= 12.00 m²
area alt= 129 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 5,600 kg
loaded weight alt= 12,320 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Daimler-Benz DB605 or DB 603E
type of prop=
number of props= 2
power main= 2984 or 3580 kW
power alt=4,000 or 4,800 hp
power original=
max speed main= 750-800 km/h
max speed alt= 466-497 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament= 2 × MK 108 cannon
avionics=

Trivia

A virtual version of the Heinkel Lerche is available as a flyable aircraft in the simulation game IL-2 Sturmovik 1946

The virtual version is equipped with 2 30mm MK 108 cannons and 3 experimental X-4 Proximity rockets which explode when near another aircraft. It can exceed 550 km an hour, and is highly maneuverable.

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
* Convair XFY
* Lockheed XFV
sequence=
lists =
* List of military aircraft of Germany
* List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
* List of WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft prototype projects
see also=
* VTOL
* [http://www.highrollas.com/heinkel.wmv Heinkel Lerche in action in the PC game Il-2 Sturmovik 1946]

References

* "Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft", D. Herwig & H. Rode, ISBN 1-85780-150-4
* [http://www.luft46.com/heinkel/helerche.html Heinkel Lerche at Luft46.com]