The Messerschmitt Me 609 (alternatively Me 309 Zwilling) was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

project which joined two

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

s of the Me 309 fighter prototype together to form a

heavy fighter A heavy fighter is an historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engine ...

Design and development

The project was initiated in response to a 1941

Reich Air Ministry The Ministry of Aviation (, abbreviated RLM) was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany (1933–45). It is also the original name of the Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus building on the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, Germany, which ...

requirement for a new ''

Zerstörer A heavy fighter is an historic category of fighter aircraft produced in the 1930s and 1940s, designed to carry heavier weapons or operate at longer ranges than light fighter aircraft. To achieve performance, most heavy fighters were twin-engined ...

'' (destroyer) to replace the Bf 110 in a minimum time and with a minimum of new parts. Messerschmitt's response was the Me 609, which would use the failed Me 309 project to form the basis of the new fighter. The Me 609 would have joined the two Me 309 fuselages with a new centre wing section. Only the two inner wheels of the joined Me 309's main

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...

s would have been used and would retract into the centre section. This resulted in an unusual four-wheel arrangement. The pilot would have sat in a cockpit located in the port fuselage, with the starboard being smoothed over. Two versions were planned: a heavy fighter with four or six

30 mm 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

MK 108 cannon The MK 108 (German: ''Maschinenkanone''—"machine cannon") is a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall‑Borsig for use in aircraft. Development The weapon was developed as a private venture by the c ...

s, and a ''

Schnellbomber A ''Schnellbomber'' (German; literally "fast bomber") is a bomber that relies upon speed to avoid enemy fighters, rather than relying on defensive armament and armor. Concept The concept developed in the 1930s when it was believed that a ve ...

'' (fast bomber) variant with two

s and a bomb load of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) carried beneath the fuselages.Lepage 2009, p. 223. However, by late December 1942, Messerschmitt Me 609 project was cancelled at the drawing board.Dan Sharp, 2018. "Schnellstbomber: Me 109 Zw, Me 309 Zw, and Me 609", Luftwaffe: Secret Designs of the Third Reich. Mortons, pp. 108-115.

Designation

One source claims that the Me 609 was actually a cover designation for test-ready, late-war Me 262s, not the twin-fuselage Me 309. However, this claim contradicts most other sources.

Specifications (Me 609, as designed)

References

Sources

* Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters, vol. I''. London: Hanover House, 1960. * Lepage, Jean-Denis G.G. ''Aircraft of the Luftwaffe, 1935–1945: An Illustrated Guide''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009.

External links