Bf 109 Floatplane

[Elmas]

Rather than, uhm "landing", I think that the most tricky part of the flight could have been take off: as you push the throttle the torque sinks one of the floats and lifts the other, with an unsimmetrical resistance in the water. So from the memories of M.llo Francesco Agello, seaplane speed recordman.
This was one of the reasons for the counter-rotating propellers in MC 72.

 

[GregP]

I certainly think you could put one on floats ... but not stock. It would need some help to lower stall speed and correct engine torque. Basically you had a SMALL airplane with a HUGE engine ... taylor-made for problems on water. I think maybe a floatplane-specific wing-fin-rudder coupled with maybe a ventral fin for assist.

To me, it would be easier to design a floatplane fighter from scratch than to adapt a Bf 109 for it, but others might feel differently. I am remimded of the relatively large number of takeoff and landing accidents the Bf 109 experienced and think it might not have been as fatal in a BF 109 floatplane, but surely would have resulted in the loss of a lot of 109's had the tendency to swing on takeoff not been cured with the new floatplane setup.

I'd much rather have adpated an He 112 with more span than a Bf 109.

Still, it DID have a relatively low stall speed with slats out and flaps down ... it was in the 78 mph range, power-on. You'd need smooth water for it ... but if they can get a Schneider cup racer airborne, they can do it with a Bf 109. Nobody ever tried to FIGHT in a Schneider Cup racer, though ... they could barely SEE out of them.

 

[GrauGeist]

Here's the post from the "if it can fly, it can float" thread that shows several bersions of the Bf109W concept (along with a Ju87 on floats).

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-pictures/fly-float-39479-25.html#post1165895

By the way, it is the single float version that was the actual paper concept for the Bf109

 

[GregP]

Always DID like the Latecoere 631 flying boat. Too bad it was made from wood and had to endure the weather for years during teh war. That probably contributed to later in-flight breakup that grounded the type. Had it been made from Aluminum, it might have done well until intercontinental jets came along and made flying boats obsolete.