What the heck is this!!??

[fatfenders]

While watching a Biography of Ernst Udet I saw a clip of Hitler and several others viewing an odd looking craft next to a large twin fixed gear taildragger with fairings which would seem to indicate that the clip may have been takenaround the mid 30's, almost certainly pre-war in any case. Anyone have any idea what the almost 'capsule' looking machine is? Also, there appear to be some kind of power plant in front of it. Almost has the look of a centrifugal jet engine.

I can't seem to embed the pics here so pls go to...

http://picasaweb.google.com/demiurgiac/Udet?authkey=Gv1sRgCLGw_72jtLn4Tw#

 

[Colin1]

Red cross syndrome here

 

[piet]

pressurized cabin for a high-altitude aicraft......The Henschel Hs 130 i think.

 

[Colin1]

The capsule resembles the pressurised cockpit module of a large'ish (four-engined?) aircraft.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

pressurized cabin for a high-altitude aicraft......The Henschel Hs 130 i think.

I agree that it is a Hs 130. I was just trying to find better pictures of it.

Here are a few:

LuftArchiv.de - Das Archiv der Deutschen Luftwaffe

 

[GrauGeist]

I'd put my money on the cabin of the Hs130...particularly the Hs130E-0

 

[vikingBerserker]

Bingo. From German Aircraft of WW2 by Smith Kay, page 327

 

[piet]

Bingo. From German Aircraft of WW2 by Smith Kay, page 327

 

[Flyboy2]

Here's a good picture of the whole airplane

 

[fatfenders]

Thanks for the replies!
After a little research can I assume the object in the forground is an HZ-Anlange supercharger?
Also, I can find no mention of an HS 130 with fixed gear. It seems logical that the aircraft in the photos is an HS 130 (or similar) but with fixed gear???
Looks the the maiden flight for the 130E was Sept. '42. Seems a little odd that they would build one at that late date with fixed gear, all the wheels being faired.

 

[Njaco]

I thought it was his escape pod from the Nazi Death Star.

Kinda Jules Verne looking, isn't it?

 

[GrauGeist]

I don't think that the aircraft in the background (with the fixed gear) is a Hs128/130...

At first glance, it looks like a massive Stuka, but judging from the date and the large amount of "brass" there with Hitler looking around, I'd say that they were looking at a technology display of some sort.

 

[vikingBerserker]

From the same article I quoted earlier, The Hs 130 program was originally tested on a couple of Hs 128 aircraft. They had fixed and spatted wheels so thats probably the plane seen. However, I cannot locate an actual pic of the Hs 128.

 

[Njaco]

I thought the same thing at first but I now believe it is a 130 although with wheel spats. Looking at the Bundes Archive pics really matched.

 

[vikingBerserker]

The 128 had fixed gear, and one of the major changes going to the 130 was retractible landing gear. The engine also looks different.

 

[Njaco]

Sorry Viking, didn't see your post.

 

[Graeme]

The 128 had fixed gear, and one of the major changes going to the 130 was retractible landing gear. The engine also looks different.

Another clue is the registration. You can easily make out RHD. It's the Henschel Hs 128 V2...

 

[GrauGeist]

Good eye, Graeme!

 

[fatfenders]

Another clue is the registration. You can easily make out RHD. It's the Henschel Hs 128 V2...

Graeme,
Bingo! Could you state what publication those photos are in pls?

 

[vikingBerserker]

Nice eyes Graeme!