Messerschmitt P.1073 (Me 328)

Parasite Fighter

The Me 328A before engines were fitted at take off

Specification for A-1

Engine: 2x Argus As 014 Pulsejets

Wing Span: 6.40 m

Length: 6.83 m (8.63 m with fuselage mounted As 014)

Height: 2.10 m (skid extended)

Weight: Empty 1,540 kg / Loaded 2,200 kg

Maximum Speed: 600km/h

Ceiling: 2,200 m

Range: 565 km

Crew: 1

Armament: 2x 20mm MG 151 cannons

History

The design of the Messerschmitt P.1073 parasite fighter program started in 1941, intended to be launched from a bomber, defend the bomber formation and then glide back to home. The prototype aircraft were made by the DFS. Flight testing beginning in 1943, the aircraft were taken skywards "piggy back" on a converted Do 217E with out any form of propulsion to see what the flight characteristic would be like, before free flights, the results were very successful in both cases. The V2/3 was fitted with much smaller wings to test the aircraft movabillity for a bombing roll.

The prototype V1 glider

Powered testing of the Me 328 A

In early 1944 when tests were done with pulsejets engine, fitted to the rear of the fuselage of the Me 328A prototype, the wooden airframe could not cope with the noise and vibration from the Argus engines, with two aircraft being lost in flight because of airframe failure. The engines were then fitted to the under side of the wings to try and improve matters, but the problems persisted.

Even before the first flight testing had been started and despite of the later problems with the engines, in May of 1943 the firm of Jacobs Schweyer in Darmstadt were preparing for production of the Me 328B. This was the definitive version of the aircraft, with many changes the most notable being the high mounted wings, to give ground clearance for the Argus engines, however in September 1943 common sense prevailed and the whole program was canceled.

A late prototype Me 328A with the revised engine mounting

But the Me 328 was not finished, the design was revived again in 1944 as a one-way piloted flying bomb based on the Me 328B, fitted with a 1,000 kg bomb, but it was dropped again, this time in favorer of the better Fiesler Fi 103 A1 "Reichenberg".

A lined drawing of the production Me 328B