The Messerschmitt P.1079 was a series of pulsejet-powered

Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG () was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in parti ...

fighter projects during the

Second World War 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 ...

. The P.1079 aircraft designs were to be powered by

pulse jet file:Pulse Jet Engine.PNG, 300px, Diagram of a valved pulsejet. 1 - Air enters through valve and is mixed with fuel. 2 - The mixture is ignited, expands, closes the valve and exits through the tailpipe, creating thrust.3 - Low pressure in the engi ...

s, the same engines used in the

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb ( "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () name was Fieseler Fi 103 and its suggestive name was (hellhound). It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug a ...

History

In May 1941, Messerschmitt began work on a series of pulsejet-powered fighter designs under the designation P.1079 after it was obvious that the BMW turbojets planned for the Me 262 were not yet available and

pulsejet file:Pulse Jet Engine.PNG, 300px, Diagram of a valved pulsejet. 1 - Air enters through valve and is mixed with fuel. 2 - The mixture is ignited, expands, closes the valve and exits through the tailpipe, creating thrust.3 - Low pressure in the engi ...

s were simpler and cheaper to build The Argus pulsejets proved themselves unsuitable for crewed aircraft that would have to take off unassisted, for they did not produce enough power at low speeds for takeoff. Since additional launch schemes would have to be added to the project, such as towplanes,

aircraft catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to help fixed-wing aircraft gain enough airspeed and lift for takeoff from a limited distance, typically from the deck of a ship. They are usually used on aircraft carrier flight decks as a form of assist ...

s or rocket boosters, the goal of the program would be defeated and expenses would be far higher than projected. A further variant, the Me P.1079 18 ''Schwalbe'', appears in some publications. But this "experimental aircraft" is a widely publicized

hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. S ...

, not a real Messerschmitt project.

Variants

All of the Me P.1079 variants were small planes and none of them would have been able to take off unassisted. All projected aircraft were provided with retractable skids for landing.Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage, ''Aircraft of the Luftwaffe, 1935Ð1945: An Illustrated Guide'', p. 260-61Sharp, D., 2024. ''Messerschmitt Me 328: Development and Politics.'' Horncastle, UK: Tempest Books.

Me P.1079/1

1941 project powered by a single pulsejet placed above the fuselage. The wings were short and swept back.

Me P.1079/2

Powered by a single Argus-Schmidt SR 500 pulsejet. It had the cockpit at the front end of the long fuselage and short swept wings. The narrow air intake was located in a ventral position below the cockpit.

Me P.1079/10c

Powered by a single SR 500 pulsejet, half of which protruded from the tail end. The air intake was located behind the cockpit on top of the fuselage. This was one of the least sophisticated designs.

Me P.1079/13b

Me P.1079/15

Asymmetric design, powered by a single pulsejet, having a broad, flat-looking fuselage with the cockpit on the right side and the pulsejet on the left.

Me P.1079/16

Another asymmetrical small plane powered by a single pulsejet. Except for the twin vertical tailfins and the air intake design it was similar to the Me P.1079 15 with a broad flat body having the cockpit on the right and the pulsejet on the left.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messerschmitt P 1079 P.1079 Abandoned military aircraft projects of Germany World War II jet aircraft of Germany Pulsejet-powered aircraft