I would like to suggest the Hs 124 V1, which was a contender by Henschel to the Kampfzerstörer / Zerstörer programm, along the Bf 110 and Fw 57 (along the overall 7 companies, which partly didnt go through and never gave a plane). After 3 prototypes, the plane was abandond and in game, unlike the Bf 110, it would fit better as a low BR bomber, rather than a heavy fighter. With the Armarment of the in summary 3 Prototypes being the interesting aspect, especially the V1.
The V1 had an electric turret at the front, with an Rheinmetall-Borsig 20mm Gun (which effectively for the time can only mean 20mm MG 204, which was also mounted in that turret model on Bv 138 A-1 and Do 24C and an flexible 20mm MG FF at the back. (actual guns werent fittet for the test flight)
The V2 had a redesinged bigger and simpler glass front, with overall 2x flexible 20mm MG FF, one in the front and one in the back.
And the V4 (V3 was only a mock up) was completly overworked and had either 4x MG 17 or 2x MG 17 and 2x MG FF optionally available fixed in the front.
With this suggestion for the V1, the frontal armarment is the most interesting aspect, the 20mm MG 204 was a gun developed upon change of doctrin in the Spanish civil war, where the MG C/30 L (MG 201) was trailed, which can be found in game on the He 112 A-0.
This gun was very powerful, with a veloicty for the Ap ammo of 850-880m/s (with high pressure ammo and L/90 barrel). However while good against bombers and ground targets, it was seen as too slow firing, which resulted in the smaller MG 201 which only had an L/40 barrel and smaller 20x105mm ammo, but an increased firerate of 500 rpm. It was quickly adoped and even recived its official ammo document in the L.Dv.4000 line up, however was quickly found to be faulty, and replaced again, by the MG FF and later MG 151. A different developent around the ammo was the S-18/100 by Rheinmetall, it can also be found in-game on the Scaba, with the same APHE-T round, at however a slightly higher velocity, more on the ammo below.
On the plane, the frontal turret with this armarment, which was designed both for flexibel and fixed mounting, it wasnt just increased performance against planes, but primarily against sea and ground targets. Flying low or overhead, the frontal turret could effectively strave those targets, while not of this plane, there is relatively a lot of footage of He 111 and Ju 88s and other planes, which also got 20mm MG FF (and FF/M) flexible mounted, can be seen to shoot at them.
As written above, the Hs 124 was made for the Kampfzerstörer / Zerstörer Project, it started in July 1934, by the chief constructor Friedrich Nicolaus, with first a mock up, which was looked at by the RLM, after which in 1935 the construction of 3 Prototypes were started.
The Hs 124 V1 with Werknummer 268, was finished in February 1935, it had the aforementioned, metal nose with glass, electric turret with the (most likely) 20mm MG 204, which however wasnt mounted for the test flight.
It was equipped with 2x 12 Cylinder Junkers Jumo 210C engines, giving it 610 PS each. It had its maiden flight in October 1936, however crashed in April 1937.
The Hs 124 V2 with the Werknummer 269, had instead of a metal nose a fully glass nose with the 20mm MG FF flexible in it, instead of a turret. Construction started in February 1936. With initially also the Jumo 210C engines, which were however replaced, with planned export, by 2x 9 Cylinder BMW-132Dc engines with 870 PS each. It had its maiden flight in january 1938, however also crashed in February 1938.
The Hs 124 V4 with the Werknummer 270, was build in march 1936 and had its maiden flight in september 1937. It was overall revised, having a 2 person chamber, with a fixed forward armarment of optionally either 4x MG 17 or 2x MG 17 and 2x MG FF. In august 1937 it was to be reworked to be used as a Stuka, with reinforced wings and the initial Jumo 210D were also replaced by MBW-132-Dc engines. With the first flight after rework, it had an emergency landing and was given to the E-Stelle Travemünde, where it was used for shooting tests.
Armarment:
V1: 20mm MG 204 (turret, front) and 20mm MG FF (flexible, back) (?)
V2: 2x 20mm MG FF (flexible, front and back)
V4: Either 4x MG 17 or 2x MG 17 and MG FF
Flight Characteristics:
Crew: 3
L / W / H: 14,50m / 18,20m / 4,89m
Wing size: 54,60m²
Engines: 2x Jumo 210C 640 PS
Top Speed: 435 km/h
Weight: 4145 kg
- Yes
- No
Source:
L.Dv.4000/8
Flying Guns of WW2
Die Geschichte der Henschel Flugzeug-Werke A.G. 1933-1945
