semi ot. strange and little known german weapons of ww2

[bunkerratt]

as the title says ....the site has some really differant "things"

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/



the one i really really like
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c40/bunkerratt/laufer.jpg

[Messervy]

O.K.

I don't like fiction, but some of the things are incredible designs,though many are hillarious.

Great find BR. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

[Celeon999]

Mechwarrior 1946 http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

Or is it Mechkrieger then ? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

There is also our mystery boat again of which we had a nice thread about some time back : LINK (http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/VS%205.htm)

Still remember how we guessed what this strange thing might be ? http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[AnEvilGuy1337]

http://starzaki.eu.org/~littlemaggot/blog/P1000LandkreuzerRatte_9735/P1000LandCruzer.jpg

Yes it did....

[Celeon999]

No project was bigger than : Atlantropa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantropa)

Creating a new continent ..... I like that idea http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

Given the current economic climate in the world at the moment, we could do with a big project like that!

Personally I prefered the E-100

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerkampfwagen_E-100

170mm Main gun. Now THAT is what I am talking about http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif Put that into perspective. A Type IX U-Boat had a 105mm gun!, and the 88's were deadly. Think of how much whack a 170mm would have had! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E100_Model_1.72_scale_.JPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...odel_1.72_scale_.JPG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E100_Model_1.72_scale_.JPG)

[Celeon999]

Something else ive found.


Experimental Panther with gas turbine instead of diesel engine.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/131/panrhregaser3pi.jpg


Amphibious APC for the planned invasion of Britian.

The americans used something like that in the pacific.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3212/panzerfahrewx0.jpg


What the E100 was supposed to look like

Funny, those two ventilator air intakes you can see on the top view behind the turret are also a feature of the Leopard 2. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/7290/e10053ik.gif

http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/652/de100.jpg


Because when things get tough and the mud is flying, the big cat's engine always needs a sufficient amount of air to breathe http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8650/bwkpzleopard2a6035.jpg

[AnEvilGuy1337]

Space Bomber? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

http://www.luft46.com/jhart/jhsang-1.jpg

http://www.luft46.com/jhart/jhsang-3.jpg

http://www.luft46.com/jhart/jhsang-4.jpg

http://www.luft46.com/jhart/jhsang-5.jpg

And A VTOL Heli-plane thing....

http://www.luft46.com/ghart/ghtrb-3.jpg

Lots more from here: Luft46 (http://luft46.com)

[bunkerratt]

if i remember the first pic in the above post the launching track for it was a few miles long

[Liddabit]

It is sad sometimes to wish the evils of nazism didn't exist and such technological advances were thought of to advance humanity without the incentives of war.

Oh well, greed for success in power , war money seem to be the most successful avenues for amazing breakthroughs :/ Its amazing the most complex and amazing creatures have the simplest motivations , and those with the highest motivations seem to be the least of the functionally inventive. (Though artistically valuable?)

[Celeon999]

Oh ja, so many ideas but so little time and resources.

I just read about another nice post-war project.

Dornier's first big project after the second world war was the Do-31, a jet engine powered VTOL transport craft for the Luftwaffe able to carry 32 soldiers.

If it ever had got a name, some insect would had been a choice. Guess why http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Dornier_DO-31_-_NASA.jpg

http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/germany/dorn_do-31_1.jpg

http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/germany/dorn_do-31_2.jpg

http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/germany/dorn_do-31_3.jpg

The first vertical take-off was achieved on July, 14 1967 and the first transition from vertical to horizontal flight was achieved on September , 22 of the same year.

On February 28 1968 ,one of the two flying prototypes completed a full demonstration flight with vertical takeoff, a flight around the airfield and vertical landing.

Although it was a huge technological achievement and astounding success (no crashes ,not a single accident) it was never produced as someone decided that a VTOL transport plane isnt really needed against the red threat.

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif




http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5176/do311.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9143/do312.jpg

[Messervy]

If it ever had got a name, some insect would had been a choice. Guess why

Yes, a "Heuschrecke" seems appropriate name for it! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[AnEvilGuy1337]

Flying Buzz saw... http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif

http://www.luft46.com/dsart/ds500-1.jpg

[Celeon999]

What about the Kugelpanzer (http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/KRUPP%20KUGELPANZER.htm) http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif


The yanks had a even more awkward idea in ww1 which resembled a ball even more. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/53.gif

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9107/153532512isu2bo.jpg



Or what about that one http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif


Minenräumpanzer (Mine-clearer with less stress for the crew)


http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2259/minenrumpanzer3.jpg

[bunkerratt]

http://strangevehicles.greyfal...PP%20KUGELPANZER.htm (http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/KRUPP%20KUGELPANZER.htm)

[Celeon999]

Smart fully autonomous recon drone http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3588/bundesarchivbild183r019.jpg


Mobile tactical operation base for smart autonomous recon drones http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/metal.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2439/westen3dg.jpg

"Quick ,tell me what you saw ! " http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif


"Gurr ! Gurr!.. Engländer... Gurr ! Gurr!" http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

"Gurr ! Gurr!.. Engländer... Gurr ! Gurr!"
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

Pigons can SPEAK? And to think, I have wasted all this time trying to do them harm when I could just tell them to get lost http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

[Messervy]

"Gurr ! Gurr!.. Engländer... Gurr ! Gurr!"
Celeon that is priceless!
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif

[Celeon999]

Pigeons can speak. Of course they can ! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif


You just need to listen to what they have to say. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Celeon just came across a real war equipment marvel of a different nation.

Let us travel to Canada where a man named Sam Hughes, who by chance was the Canadian minister for the Department of Militia and Defence in 1913, made a wonderful invention.


Just like many other people all around the world he had the idea that it would be nice if soldiers could fire at a enemy, for instance from within a trench, while being protected from enemy fire at the same time.

As it would be waste of resources and a unnecessary burden to the soldier to create a seperate protective steel shield, he thought of creating some sort of multi-purpose tool instead by modifiying a piece of equipment which is the best friend of every soldier.

His shovel.

So what did he do ?

He designed a shovel with a extra thick spade and a hole in it. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

A shovel with a hole, yes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Sam_Hughes_holding_the_McAdam_shovel.jpg

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6827/shovelcb1.jpg

The idea was to stick the rifle through the hole.

This way the soldier could keep his head and upper body behind the protective shovel.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5236/shoveljm6.jpg


The enthusiastic Mr. Hughes rushed one of his secretaries, Miss Ena McAdams to the patent office to sign the official documents which led to the name "McAdams trench shield shovel" being applied to his invention.

Because of the thicker spade, the McAdams shovel came with the rather high price of $1.35 per shovel and 25.000 were bought for the canadian army and issued to the 2nd Cdn Div in 1915.

Quickly, Mr Hughes invention turned out to be absolutely useless.

The spades did not withstood even the weakest of enemy calibers and the thickness of the spade combined with the huge hole in it logically reduced its digging properties to near zero. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif


The McAdams trench shield shovel quickly turned into a political scandal with all being recalled into ordinance stores and sold as scrap metal.

The canadian army had to buy british "holeless" shovels as replacements. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

To defend poor Mr Hughes, he was not the only inventor to create absolutely useless inventions during the great war. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

I have one that is slightly more related to ships lol

I was reading and I came across a reference to a ship that Hitler wanted to have built. She was supposed to be capable of 33 knots, have 4x2 turrets (Like Bismarck) but the caliber of the main guns were supposed to be along the lines of the Schwerer Gustav caliber. 80cm or 31.5"!

Secondary armament was to be 11", and 5.9" as other German Warships.

I remember reading that the overall tonnage of the ship was to be in the region of 700,000 tonnes, and she was supposed to have 200% redundant bouyancy or something like that.

Tell you what though, I saw a picture and she looked graceful, mind you, most German ships did.

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

I found that battleship I was on about.

In case you are wondering, that is the Bismarck beside her for scale! http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

http://th05.deviantart.com/fs36/300W/f/2008/277/a/d/The_KM_FUHRER_by_leovictor.jpg

There is a bigger picture on the page, which is here:
http://leovictor.deviantart.co...e-KM-FUHRER-99684464 (http://leovictor.deviantart.com/art/The-KM-FUHRER-99684464)

[Celeon999]

"Führer class" describes it all http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif


Talking about him ...



Find zee Führer in zis pic and vin a brand new VW Beetle http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1156/98227763gq7.jpg

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

Found him, but you can keep the beatle.

Any idea what ship he is on in the photo?

[Celeon999]

Nope sadly not.

[AnEvilGuy1337]

Found him, beetle please http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Celeon999]

Originally posted by AnEvilGuy1337:
Found him, beetle please http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif


Congrats http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

Just tell us where we shall delivered to. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

Country, State, District , City, Street.......and if required ..... to which floor http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

http://blog.makezine.com/street_legal_vw_powered_3.jpg
http://blog.makezine.com/street_legal_vw_powered_1.jpg

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

Say what looks like a giant vibra....... yes indeed lol

That does remind me of a photo I saw from America.

lemme see if I can find it....

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/ffextensionguru/2003922252366942056_rs.jpg
http://tbirds.hp.infoseek.co.jp/watso14_l.JPG
http://www.munciedragway.com/Portals/0/NightOfFire/bus448x298.jpg

Bet no kids are late to school on that route.

And just in case they crash, there is a fire truck to put out the flames

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/firetruck2.JPG

Or os that start more flames? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

[AnEvilGuy1337]

Originally posted by Karl_Donitz_Jr:
Say what looks like a giant vibra....... yes indeed lol

That does remind me of a photo I saw from America.

lemme see if I can find it....

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/ffextensionguru/2003922252366942056_rs.jpg
http://tbirds.hp.infoseek.co.jp/watso14_l.JPG
http://www.munciedragway.com/Portals/0/NightOfFire/bus448x298.jpg

Bet no kids are late to school on that route.

And just in case they crash, there is a fire truck to put out the flames

http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/firetruck2.JPG

Or os that start more flames? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/88.gif That is funny, and it's true! LOL!



But seriously, can have my jet beetle now? http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-indifferent.gif

[Celeon999]

If the jet beetle should not have arrived by now....i guess this missile defence system one hear so much about this days is propably to blame http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/51.gif


Ive found modern examples of strange airplane concepts


These are some design concepts for the airliner of the future

A VTOL airliner

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7981/hyliner.jpg

No idea http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8244/hyliner1.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9472/hyliner2.jpg


This is VELA, a concept study of the German Aerospace and Space Agency for the next generation of airliners

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/Abteilungen/Abt_KE/Vela/vela2_cp.jpg 800 passengers in one plane with 30 % less fuel consumption than any current airliner.

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/Abteilungen/Abt_KE/Vela/vela_3d.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/Abteilungen/Abt_KE/Vela/vela1_cp.jpg

[Foehammer-1]

Hmmm. Rather interesting designs there. However, no offence to the Germans, but the VELA 1 and 2 look like some of the ugliest planes or designs out there http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif Maybe it's just me.

The first picture of a white and orange plane looks like an optical illusion, until i saw the second picturehttp://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Those wings are... unique, to say the least

[klcarroll]

Yes........., It is truly ugly! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/sadeyes.gif

....But one valid criticism of the “Bigger-Is-Always-Better” concept immediately pops to mind: …..This thing is obviously too big for the Gate spacing at 90% of the World’s airports! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-very-happy.gif

klcarroll

[Celeon999]

Vee dont make zugesszions here ! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

Vee command yu to broaden your runwayz and terminells ! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/crackwhip.gif

For zee zake of zientific advanzemend ! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/crackwhip.gif


Here is some more stuff ive found on the DLR (German aerospace and space agency) website



UCAV 2010

Now where have i seen a UAV that looks pretty much like that recently http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2841/cfdf1704a15streamline1.jpg



SHEFEX

Nope, thats not a city in the UK http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

SHarp Edge Flight EXperiment was Germany's first hypersonic atmospheric re-entry experiement since 1945.

The Shefex rocket was launched from Norway in october 2005 promptly causing a launch alert in a russian early warning radar station. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

The Russian government was informed about the launch but for some reason the russian military was not.

The strange looking nose of the rocket is a new type of heatshield for future spacecrafts.

http://www.dlr.de/Portaldata/1/Resources/portal_news/NewsArchiv2005/shefex_reentry_module.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/Portaldata/1/Resources/portal_news/NewsArchiv2005/shefex_payload_380h.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/abteilungen/abt_rf/shefex/rf_SHEFEX1.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/abteilungen/abt_rf/shefex/rf_SHEFEX2.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/abteilungen/abt_rf/shefex/rf_SHEFEX3.jpg

http://www.dlr.de/as/Portaldata/5/Resources/images/abteilungen/abt_rf/shefex/rf_SHEFEX4.jpg

[AnEvilGuy1337]

Don't see why the B-2 is considered new and completely modern...

Meet it's 60 yrs old ancestor....

http://www.luft46.com/horten/ho18adm.jpg

[klcarroll]

Don't see why the B-2 is considered new and completely modern...

It's not the concept that makes it "modern": ....It's the technical ability to make it happen! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

klcarroll

[Karl_Donitz_Jr]

ahh yes the Amerika Bomber Horton wing.

If my memory serves me (and it always does) they actually built a full scale aircraft out of wood but lacked the engines. They never turned up before the Russians so they burnt her. Such a shame.

[Celeon999]

The Horten brothers built lots of flying wings.

Mostly gliders but also a jet engine powered prototype that also flew.


All pics and lots more can be found here : www.nurflugel.com (http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/horten_nurflugels.html)

Just click on the photos on the left to get more photos and informations.


Ho-IX V1 Glider without engines

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_v-1.jpg


HO-V-C with two pusher propellors

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_v/ho_v_c_on_ground.jpg

Ho-IX V2 (A smaller model for experiements)

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_construction.jpg

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_construction_2.jpg

Preparation for flight

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_checkout.jpg

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_takeoff.jpg

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_first_flight.jpg


The unfinished Ho-IX V3


http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_v-3.jpg


http://www.nurflugel.com/ho_ix_v-3_2.jpg


http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/ho_ix_si.jpg

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/ho_ix/Ho229_Loading.jpg


Reimar and Walter Horten


They proposed huge flying wing transport gliders for the invasion of Britain.

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/Horten_Biography/brothers.jpg

[Celeon999]

That was a interesting plane http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif


The Rockwell-MBB X-31 with thrust-vector paddles

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/x-31-ED94-42734-6.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Rockwell-MBB_X-31_vectorpaddles.jpg/800px-Rockwell-MBB_X-31_vectorpaddles.jpg


Two were made, one is in a museum here in Germany...




http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Vector_X-31-1.jpg/800px-Vector_X-31-1.jpg


The american one ended up like this so that zee Amerikaner dont have one for themselves in the end. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/59.gif

Ice inside an airspeed sensor gave the flight computer wrong data. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/halo.gif Celeon had nothing to do with it. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif

http://www.check-six.com/images/Crash_Sites_images/X-31/X31-95Aerial.jpg


You can see the thrust-vector paddles very good.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Image-Vector_X-31-2.jpg/800px-Image-Vector_X-31-2.jpg


A new flight maneuver was invented with that plane.

The so called "Herbst" Maneuver after Dr. Wolfgang Herbst, an Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm employee and proponent of using post-stall flight in air-to-air combat. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/blink.gif

Here you can see the X-31 doing a nice stunt at some airshow : LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq7Lwdow3Eo&feature=related)

The Herbst Maneuver

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/NASA_DFRC_Herbst_manuever_diagram.jpg

[Foehammer-1]

Foe has his answer from across the Iron Curtain http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif In your face, capitalist pigs!! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/34.gif

http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

http://www.ukairshows.info/wallpapers/2007/mig29ovt_1280.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/333678785_96ce724cd8.jpg?v=0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...A&index=0&playnext=1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai7eaDeRlDs&feature=PlayList&p=63AD60E70B6A219A&index=0&playnext=1)

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[Celeon999]

The red menace strikes again ! http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif


I saw that Mig-29 OVT at the Berlin Airshow 2006 http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif


Eurofighter GmbH will soon offer a thrust-vector upgrade for the Eurofighter's Eurojet-200 engines http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/winky.gif

*Note to myself : Send Eurofighter a letter telling them that the overusage of the word Euro for their products is becoming rediculous*


Of course , Celeon has already photos http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/shady.gif

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/1314/3dtvcaction.jpg http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8964/3dtvcaction3.jpg

[Foehammer-1]

I wonder if the double-Euro can do a Super-Cobra like the MiG OVT http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif