An interesting rare set of original designs for a German Third Reich aircraft featuring a bomb are to be auctioned tomorrow in the UK.
The detailed pencil drawings, with ink annotations by an unknown engineer, are on two sidesof graph paper and depict a last ditch glider bomber designed to be mass produced for one-off missions against Naval targets.
Richard Davie of International Autograph Auctions sent this information to me by email:
"Also included is a further drawing showing the proposed course of flight by the glider. The drawings show that the mother ship, based on a late variant of the Ju 88, released the piloted glider, equipped with a 1000 kilo bomb, which, using the tungsten cored flying principle of a pub dart dived on its target at speeds in excess of 700 mph.
"The aircraft is also equipped with a balloon which would have been released simultaneously with the bomb and, taking some time to inflate, would produce a slowly enlarging drag inducer to keep the glider under some form of control whilst the pilot attempted to escape.
"These drawings were removed from the Reichs Chancellery in Berlin in July 1945 by Richard Rex who had been sent to Germany to help establish a medical dispensary for use during The Potsdam Conference.
"Accompanied by a detailed letter of authenticity signed by Rex and witnessed by a Notary Public. Also included is a letter from Terry Gander, an expert in German aviation of World War II, explaining that he has never seen anything like the glider previously and continuing to offer his interpretation of how the aircraft would have flown and been manufactured.
"A unique set of drawings illustrating one of Hitler's secret air weapons that may have changed the course of history and helped him win World War II.
"File holes to left edges, causing small areas of paper loss although not affecting the drawings and annotations. Otherwise VG, 2."
The plans are going for £2000 - £3000. International Autograph Auctions more information...
Take a look at Flight's archive coverage of the Machines of the Lufftwaffe...
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