Blohm & Voss BV 138

BV 138B

An image of a BV 138 published in a British Aircraft guide.
Role	Maritime patrol Long-Range Reconnaissance
Manufacturer	Blohm & Voss
Designer	Richard Vogt
First flight	15 July, 1937
Introduction	October, 1940
Primary user	Luftwaffe
Produced	1938–1943
Number built	297

The Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon), but nicknamed Der Fliegende Holzschuh ("flying clog",^[1] from the side-view shape of its fuselage) was a World War II German trimotor flying boat that served as the Luftwaffe's main seaborne long-range maritime patrol and naval reconnaissance aircraft.

A total of 297 BV 138s were built between 1938 and 1943.

Design and development

The appearance of the BV 138 was unique, in its combination of unusual design features, such as: twin boom tail unit, trimotor configuration, and empennage slung beneath the wings. One nickname, "the Flying Clog" was derived from the shape of the slab-sided hull unit. These features together produced the aircraft's ungainly appearance, but inspired a certain affection among its crew and mechanics.

Three piston engines were used. The central engine was mounted above the wing, driving a four-blade propeller, while the wing engines were lower, with three-blade propellers. The pre-production prototypes and the BV 138 A-01 to BV 138 A-06, were powered by various makes of engines ranging from 485–746 kW (650–1,000 hp). The first standardized version, BV 138 B-1, was powered by three 880 PS (868 hp, 647 kW) Junkers Jumo 205D two-stroke, opposed-piston aircraft diesel engines. The engine cowlings also had an atypical appearance, due to the unique nature of the engines, and resembled the cowlings of 4 or 6-cylinder inverted inline engines found on smaller civil and utility aircraft.

The booms of the twin tail unit extended horizontally from the rear of the outer engine nacelles.

For hydrodynamic reasons, the hull featured a distinct "turn-down", or "beak" at the stern, like the fuselage had been bent.

Two enclosed, powered gun turrets, each mounting a single MG 151/20 autocannon, were located prominently at the bow and stern. A third, fully open Scarff ring-like emplacement, behind the central engine, mounted a 13 mm MG 131 heavy machine gun covered fields of fire obstructed from the other turrets by the horizontal stabilizer.

Operational history

In all, 227 examples of standard service variants of the BV 138 were built. The first such variant, BV 138 C-1, began service in March 1941. While non-standard variants carried a variety of armament, the standard variant featured two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, one in a power-operated bow turret and one in a power-operated stern turret, up to three 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns, and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in the aft center engine nacelle. It could carry up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs or depth charges (under the starboard wing root only) or, in place of these, up to 10 passengers.

Some examples of the BV 138 were adapted to specialized roles. One anti-shipping variant carried FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band search radar. The BV 138 MS variant was converted for minesweeping,^[2] and carried magnetic field-generating degaussing equipment, including a hoop antenna with a diameter equal to the length of the fuselage, which encircled the hull and wings.

Variants

Blohm & Voss BV 138 at anchor on Lake Siutghiol, near Constanta, Romania in 1943.

Prototypes

developed under Hamburger Flugzeugbau designation
Ha 138 V1 (D-ARAK) – First flight on 15 July 1937
Ha 138 V2 (D-AMOR) – First flight in August 1937
Ha 138 V3 – Construction abandoned due to redesign.

Production

BV 138 A-01 to 06 – Operational testbeds
BV 138 A-1 – Flew reconnaissance during invasion of Norway
BV 138 B-0 – Officially entered service in October 1940
BV 138 B-1 – Entered service in November 1940
- BV 138 B-1/U1
BV 138 C-1, also had minesweeper variant
- BV 138 C-1/U
BV 138 MS – Minesweeping version.

Survivors

The wreck of a Blohm & Voss BV 138 at display at the National Museum of Science and Technology (Danmarks Tekniske Museum) in Elsinore, Denmark. The wing spar is poised over the aircraft in the same position as it was, when the wreck was discovered in The Sound, off Copenhagen.

No complete BV 138s remain in existence. However, the wreck of one aircraft, sunk after the war in a British air show, was raised from the seabed of the Øresund Sound in 2000, and is on display at the Danish Technical Museum in Helsingør.

On 27 June 2012, two divers (Pascale Roibu and Iulian Rusu) found a Heinkel He 114 seaplane in Siutghiol Lake near Mamaia, Constanta, Romania. During that time, the two divers also found pieces of a Blohm & Voss BV 138 seaplane.

In June 2013, a vessel from the Norwegian Geological Survey filmed a Blohm & Voss BV 138 at a depth of 35 m in Porsangerfjorden, Norway, not far from the WW2 German seaplane harbour in Indre Billefjord.^[3]

Specifications (BV 138 C-1)

Data from Wagner, Ray and Nowarra, Heinz. German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York: Doubleday, 1971, pg. 358

General characteristics

Crew: 6, pilot, navigator, radio operator, nose gunner, rear gunner, upper rear gunner + up to 10 passengers
Length: 19.85 m (65 ft 1½ in)
Wingspan: 26.94 m (88 ft 4½ in)
Height: 5.90 m (19 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 112 m² (1,205.5 ft²)
Empty weight: 11,770 kg (25,950 lb)
Loaded weight: 14,500 kg (31,970 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,500 kg (38,590 lb)
Powerplant: 3 × Junkers Jumo 205D opposed piston diesel engine with 12 pistons in 6 cylinders, 647 kW (868 hp) 880 PS each

Performance

Maximum speed: 285 km/h @ 6,000 m (177 mph @ 19,700 ft)
Cruise speed: 200 km/h (124 mph)
Range: 4,300 km (2,670 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
Rate of climb: 220 m/min (729 ft/min)
Wing loading: 114.2 kg/m² (23.4 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 0.106 kW/kg (0.064 hp/lb)

Armament

2 × 20 mm MG 151 cannon, one in a nose turret and one in the rear fuselage covering upper rear area
1 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun in open position behind the central engine, covering the top rear area
1-3 × 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns (optional)
up to 6 x 50kg bombs or 4 x 150kg depth charges under starboard wing root only (optional)

References

Notes

↑ Nowarra 1997, original German title of the Schiffer book.
↑ The "MS" suffix of the BV 138 MS signified Minensuch (literally "mine search")
↑ NRK Nordnytt 14 June 2013

Bibliography

Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats. London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 5th impression 1972. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 4th impression 1979. ISBN 0-356-02382-6.
Ledwoch, Janusz. Bv 138 (Wydawnictwo Militaria 64) (in Polish). Warszaw, Poland: Wydawnictwo Militaria, 1998. ISBN 83-7219-015-1.
Nowarra, Heinz J. and Don Cox, (transl.) Blohm & Voss Bv 138 (Schiffer Military History). Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0296-5.
Smith J. Richard and Anthony Kay. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1972 (3rd impression 1978). ISBN 0-370-00024-2.
Wagner, Ray and Nowarra, Heinz. German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York: Doubleday, 1971.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blohm & Voss BV 138.

Blohm & Voss/Hamburger Flugzeugbau aircraft

Ha / BV	BV 40 Ha 135 Ha 136 Ha 137 Ha 138 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 BV 155 BV 222 BV 237 BV 238 BV 246 P 111 P 144 P 163 P 170 P 175 P 178 P 184 P 188 P 192 P 194 P 196 P 197 P 198 P 202 P 203 P 204 P 207 P 208 P 209 P 210 P 211 P 212 P 213 P 214 P 215 Ae 607 MGRP

HFB	HFB-314 HFB-320

Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations

1 to 100	B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 Ju 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100

101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200

201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 (1943) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300

301-	Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E.340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E.555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635

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