The German strategic bomber that might have been... We take a close look at the Luftwaffe's fragile, fiery Griffin! / worldofwarbirds amzn.to/45EZxcR amzn.to/45HxcCP
I can maybe add a little as to German thinking on heavy bombers at the time and using dates. -Political Background: The Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany to 50,000 soldiers and 100 aircraft. This left Germany almost helpless in the event of invasion by either France or Poland alone. . Hitler became Fuhrer in 1934 when he combined the role of Chancellor(Prime Minister) and President eliminating checks and balances and this allowed him to repudiate the treaty in 1935. However the German fears of invasion were not unfounded: France had occupied the Saar region of Germany in 1926 to enforce payback of reparations. Poland was a dictatorship at the time and there were elements that thought the territory of even Berlin was ancient Polish land though the Government did not promote these. -The nightmare scenario for Germany was a simultaneous French & Polish invasion with the UK and Czechoslovakia joining in. Repudiation of the treaty didn't really solve Germany's defense problem. -The Argument of the heads of the Luftwaffe -Albert Kesselring, Ernst Udet, and Hans Jeschonnek was that tactical aircraft were critically important to support the German Army. -It's important to look at a map of Germany at the time. The idea of Junkers Ju 89 or Dornier Do 19 flying across France to bomb say Liverpool on the East Coast of Britain mast seem as far fetched as the idea of flying across Poland and Moscow to bomb the Urals. It's also abasurd to immagine this while Polish or French armies rolled into German territory with the Luftwaffe starved of tactical aircraft. -However the thinking came around to the idea that Germany could afford heavy bombers if they could function as tactical aircraft as well. This is the origin of the dive bomber capability demanded. -The reason for the twin engines (either coupled DB601 to create DB606 or the large Jumo 222) was to prevent aeroelastic flutter. Twin engine aircraft have less mass on the outboard of the engines which helps prevent flutter in a high speed dive. -Ernst Heinkel was begging the German Air Ministry and Luftwaffe to abandon the coupled engines according to his memoirs. -By 1942 the Lofte 7B computing bomb sight was as accurate as dive bombing and the StuVi 5B with BZA dive bombing computing sight allowed the He 177 and Ju 88 to dive bomb at 20 degrees. -The bomb impact point was continuously calculated Cross hairs on the sights told the pilot where the bomb was going to go. -So dive bombing was not needed anyway.
No doubt, one of the many 'what if's of WWII aviation, the story of Heinkel himself was perhaps equally plagued with many - if not most - of his other advanced competing warplane designs; first, forcibly constrained mid-war to produce bomber-designs only (with Messerschmitt solely tasked in producing/designing fighters), it was through the likes of not only the RLM, the Luftwaffe and his rival counterparts that done him in towards the Reich's collapse, but rather [more so], the internal [political] infighting between its many hierarchical parties that screwed him over by war's end. An amazing man who never gave up nor gave in to his contemporaries, it's rather amazing at what he was able to accomplish despite all the difficulties surrounding his own personal struggles. It's just too bad that many of his superior - if not downright futuristic - airframe designs were never even given the chance of development into what the RLM should have taken heed of towards the latter stages of the [global] conflict. In my honest opinion, Ernst Heinkel was perhaps amongst the very best and experienced of all German aviation experts/designers, and despite treating him like a puppet in a toy factory - still managing to unselfishly give his time and dedication to his Fatherland to the bitter end - he left us all an aviation legacy that defies imagination over begging the question of tomorrow (shall it ever come): What will the next [inevitable] global war bring forth in technological development towards flight? Superlative and well-versed presentation! Thanks for posting!
Apologies that this isn’t directly related to the He177, but I really enjoy your narration and wondered who your voice reminded me of, then I saw Capricorn One the other day and realised it was Elliott Gould - do you come from the same area in the States or is it my aero engine damaged hearing playing up again? Thanks again for your channel and excellent content 👍
Thanks so much! I looked up Elliot Gould and it seems he’s from New York. I’m from Montreal, Canada, so not too far away! I loved Gould in “A Bridge Too Far”!
HE 177 "Oh Good Grief - Please put 4 engines in their own narcels " :D My first Airfix plane was the He177, I loved it's look, very beautiful.
Good Looking Machine 😮😂❤❤❤lotsa "Grief" for sure
Who else is here from spotify?
Nice looking aircraft and for the time quite modern but a disaster however in a way we should be grateful as your podcast could be in German now!
I can maybe add a little as to German thinking on heavy bombers at the time and using dates.
-Political Background: The Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany to 50,000 soldiers and 100 aircraft. This left Germany almost helpless in the event of invasion by either France or Poland alone. . Hitler became Fuhrer in 1934 when he combined the role of Chancellor(Prime Minister) and President eliminating checks and balances and this allowed him to repudiate the treaty in 1935. However the German fears of invasion were not unfounded: France had occupied the Saar region of Germany in 1926 to enforce payback of reparations. Poland was a dictatorship at the time and there were elements that thought the territory of even Berlin was ancient Polish land though the Government did not promote these.
-The nightmare scenario for Germany was a simultaneous French & Polish invasion with the UK and Czechoslovakia joining in. Repudiation of the treaty didn't really solve Germany's defense problem.
-The Argument of the heads of the Luftwaffe -Albert Kesselring, Ernst Udet, and Hans Jeschonnek was that tactical aircraft were critically important to support the German Army.
-It's important to look at a map of Germany at the time. The idea of Junkers Ju 89 or Dornier Do 19 flying across France to bomb say Liverpool on the East Coast of Britain mast seem as far fetched as the idea of flying across Poland and Moscow to bomb the Urals. It's also abasurd to immagine this while Polish or French armies rolled into German territory with the Luftwaffe starved of tactical aircraft.
-However the thinking came around to the idea that Germany could afford heavy bombers if they could function as tactical aircraft as well. This is the origin of the dive bomber capability demanded.
-The reason for the twin engines (either coupled DB601 to create DB606 or the large Jumo 222) was to prevent aeroelastic flutter. Twin engine aircraft have less mass on the outboard of the engines which helps prevent flutter in a high speed dive.
-Ernst Heinkel was begging the German Air Ministry and Luftwaffe to abandon the coupled engines according to his memoirs.
-By 1942 the Lofte 7B computing bomb sight was as accurate as dive bombing and the StuVi 5B with BZA dive bombing computing sight allowed the He 177 and Ju 88 to dive bomb at 20 degrees. -The bomb impact point was continuously calculated Cross hairs on the sights told the pilot where the bomb was going to go.
-So dive bombing was not needed anyway.
No doubt, one of the many 'what if's of WWII aviation, the story of Heinkel himself was perhaps equally plagued with many - if not most - of his other advanced competing warplane designs; first, forcibly constrained mid-war to produce bomber-designs only (with Messerschmitt solely tasked in producing/designing fighters), it was through the likes of not only the RLM, the Luftwaffe and his rival counterparts that done him in towards the Reich's collapse, but rather [more so], the internal [political] infighting between its many hierarchical parties that screwed him over by war's end.
An amazing man who never gave up nor gave in to his contemporaries, it's rather amazing at what he was able to accomplish despite all the difficulties surrounding his own personal struggles. It's just too bad that many of his superior - if not downright futuristic - airframe designs were never even given the chance of development into what the RLM should have taken heed of towards the latter stages of the [global] conflict.
In my honest opinion, Ernst Heinkel was perhaps amongst the very best and experienced of all German aviation experts/designers, and despite treating him like a puppet in a toy factory - still managing to unselfishly give his time and dedication to his Fatherland to the bitter end - he left us all an aviation legacy that defies imagination over begging the question of tomorrow (shall it ever come): What will the next [inevitable] global war bring forth in technological development towards flight?
Superlative and well-versed presentation! Thanks for posting!
Apologies that this isn’t directly related to the He177, but I really enjoy your narration and wondered who your voice reminded me of, then I saw Capricorn One the other day and realised it was Elliott Gould - do you come from the same area in the States or is it my aero engine damaged hearing playing up again? Thanks again for your channel and excellent content 👍
Thanks so much! I looked up Elliot Gould and it seems he’s from New York. I’m from Montreal, Canada, so not too far away! I loved Gould in “A Bridge Too Far”!
@@worldofwarbirds Definately my jet addled hearing then, not even the correct country! Either way you have a superb voice and talent for narration. 👍
Thank You again Brian for Your efforts to provide this informative and interesting episode.
Best Wishes to You and Your Family.
Thanks for posting I do enjoy your content.
Glad to hear it!
The only long range bomber that was successful was the Condor. Which had a characteristic of breaking it’s back on landing