Blohm & Voss BV 138

Infobox Aircraft
name = Blohm & Voss BV 138B
type = Long Range Reconnaissance
manufacturer = Blohm & Voss


caption =
designer =
first flight = 15 July, 1937
introduced = October, 1940
retired =
status =
primary user = Luftwaffe
more users =
produced = 1938–1943
number built = 297
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The Blohm & Voss BV 138 "Seedrache" (Sea Dragon, but nicknamed "Der Fliegende Holzschuh" ("flying clog") [Nowarra 1997, original German title of the Schiffer book.] ) was a World War II German flying boat that functioned as the Luftwaffe's main long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

A total of 297 BV 138s were built between 1938 and 1943. The aircraft was unusually powered by three engines, with one mounted high above the centerline driving a four-bladed propeller, and one on each wing driving three-bladed propellers. The preproduction prototypes and the BV 138 A-01 to BV 138 A-06, were powered by various makes of engines ranging from 650 hp to 1000 hp. The first standardized version BV 138 B-1, was powered by three 880 hp Junkers Jumo 205D Diesel engines. Unusual were the aircraft's "twin boom" tail unit, and gun turrets at the bow and the stern of the fuselage, as well as behind the central engine. These features together produced the aircraft's ungainly appearance.

The first of the 227 standard service model, BV 138 C-1, began service in March 1941. Although various versions of the aircraft carried a variety of armament, the standard included two MG 151 20mm cannon, one in a power-operated bow turret and one in a power-operated stern turret, up to three MG 15 machine gun, and an MG 131 machine gun in the aft center engine nacelle. It could carry 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs or depth charges or, in place of these, up to 10 passengers. Most were fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel search radar for anti-shipping duties. Some were converted for minesweeper role. The BV 138 MS variant carried a degaussing device, a hoop with the same diameter as the length of the fuselage and field-generating equipment, instead of weapons.

Survivors

No complete BV 138s remain in existence. However, the wreck of one aircraft, sunk after the war in a British air show, was raised from the seabed of the Öresund Sound in 2000, and is on display at the Danish Technical Museum in Helsingør.

Variants

Prototype Versions:
* Ha 138 V1 (D-ARAK) - First flight on 15 July 1937

* Ha 138 V2 (D-AMOR) - First flight in August 1937

* Ha 138 V3 - Construction was abandoned due to redesign.

Production Versions:
* BV 138 A-01 to 06 - Operational testbeds

* BV 138 A-1 - Flew reconnaissance during invasion of Norway

* BV 138 B-0 - Officially entered service in October 1940

* BV 138 B-1 - Entered service in November 1940
** BV 138 B-1/U1

* BV 138 C-1, also had minesweeper variant
** BV 138 C-1/U

* BV 138 MS - Mine-sweeping version.

pecifications (Bv 138 B-1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew= 6, pilot, navigator, radio operator, nose gunner, rear gunner, upper rear gunner + up to 10 passengers
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 19.9 m
length alt= 65 ft 3in
span main= 27 m
span alt= 88 ft 7 in
height main= 6.6 m
height alt= 21 ft 7 in
area main= 111.9 m²
area alt= 1,205 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 8,100 kg
empty weight alt= 17,860 lb
loaded weight main= 14,700 kg
loaded weight alt= 32,400 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)= Junkers Jumo 205D diesel
type of prop=
number of props=3
power main= 660 kW
power alt= 880 hp
power original=
max speed main= 275 km/h @ 6,000 m
max speed alt= 171 mph @ 19,700 ft
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 5,000 km
range alt= 3,105 mi
ceiling main= 5,000 m
ceiling alt= 16,400 ft
climb rate main= 220 m/min
climb rate alt= 729 ft/min
loading main= 114.2 kg/m²
loading alt= 23.4 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.106 kW/kg
power/mass alt= 0.064 hp/lb
more performance=
armament=
* 2 × MG 151 20 mm cannon
* 1 × MG 131 13 mm machine gun
* 3 × MG 15 7.92 mm machine gun
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=
Ha 135 -
Ha 136 -
Ha 137 -BV 138 -
Ha 139 -
Ha 140 -
BV 141

lists=
* List of military aircraft of Germany

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Green, William. "Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats". London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 5th impression 1972. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
* Green, William. "Warplanes of the Third Reich". London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 4th impression 1979. ISBN 0-356-02382-6.
* Ledwoch, Janusz. "Bv 138 (Wydawnictwo Militaria 64)" (in Polish). Warszawa, Poland: Wydawnictwo Militaria, 1998. ISBN 83-7219-015-1.
* Nowarra, Heinz J. and Cox, Don (transl.) "Blohm & Voss Bv 138 (Schiffer Military History)". Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0296-5.
* Smith J.Richard and Kay, Anthony. "German Aircraft of the Second World War". London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1972 (3rd impression 1978). ISBN 0-370-00024-2.

External links

* [http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/ilsvika.html Article on a BV 138 which sank near Trondheim in Norway]
* [http://home.swipnet.se/our_stuff/Planes/BV138.htm Website dedicated to the BV 138]
* [http://www.feldgrau.com/bv138.htm Specs]