EWR VJ 101

EWR VJ 101 was a project of interceptor of the type v.t.o.l conceived by the German company EWR ( Southern Entwicklungsring ) with the beginning of the year 1960. Just like two other projects v.t.o.l launched by this country at the same time (the plane of attack VFW-Fokker VAK 191B and the transport aircraft Dornier C 31), the VJ 101 was finally never built in series and only two prototypes flew.

Design

In 1956, the German Ministry for Defense launched an invitation to tender for new a interceptor, claiming a v.t.o.l because at the time long the tracks necessary for the fighters seemed too much vulnerable to the bombardments.

At the beginning, Heinkel and Messerschmitt had conceived each one separately a project of VJ 101 ( V ertikal J äger, is Vertical German Chasseur). The project of Heinkel (VJ 101 A) presented a trapezoidal aerofoil, plane duck and four tilting engines on the level of salmons of aerofoil. The project of Messerschmitt (VJ 101 B) had delta wings, a conventional Empennage and four fixed engines in the fuselage equipped with directional Tuyère S for takeoff and the landing.

On the impulse of the Ministry which promised in exchange a contract for the construction of 5 prototypes, the two manufacturers based in 1959 a company common called EWR, joined to this occasion by Bölkow. Thus from VJ 101 C were born the formula, partly taking again concepts defined by Heinkel and Messerschmitt: trapezoidal wings, traditional empennage, two engines in each tilting nacelle in end of wing. Two other engines of Sustentation were assembled in the fuselage to provide a complement of thorough to the principal engines in Hovering.

Two prototypes of the VJ 101 C were built, the X1 (registered D-9517) at Messerschmitt with Augsburg and the X2 (D-9518) at Heinkel with Spire. A flying bench of development of the orders of flight ( Schwebegestell ) been driven by three lift jets RB-108 was first of all controlled by the test pilot George Bright of the US Navy, Germany not having yet of qualified pilot. The first coasting flight of the flying bench took place on March 13rd, 1962 with Manching close to Ingolstadt, followed from 126 others, carried out by 10 pilots of 3 different countries.

Equip with engines without Postcombustion, the X1 prototype made a first hovering on April 10th, 1963 with Manching and the first transition took place on August 31st (the September 20th according to another source). July 29th, 1964, X1 was the first plane of the type v.t.o.l to cross the Mur of the sound by reaching the speed of Mach 1,04. The September 14th 1964, a defect of autopilot caused the loss of the apparatus.

The second X2 prototype had engines out of nacelles equipped Post-combustion and a new autopilot. It made its first flight on June 12th 1965 and its first transition took place the October 22nd 1965. The new engines posed problems of circulation of hot gases at the time of takeoff and the landing, and damaged the coating on the ground. A novel method was then tested: the nacelles were tilted of 70° only instead of being put at the vertical. Thus the plane was raised after having traversed only 3 meters on the track, and reached 15 meters of altitude 40 meters after its starting point.

The project was however abandoned at the end of the years 1960. X2 flew until 1971, before being transferred to the Deutsches Museum from Munich.

See too

Internal bonds

Aircraft on vertical takeoff and landing (v.t.o.l)

External bonds

the VJ 101 on Prototypes.com
the VJ 101 on the site of Historical manufacturer EADS
and description on a personal site
the VJ101 on Virtual Aircraft Museum
Historical and photographs on the site of the manufacturer

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