The "Volksjager" program - or "People's Fighter" began in September of 1944 as an offshoot of the "Emergency Fighter Program" (EFP) with the goal of finding a design that could be cheaply produced, at speed, and in the numbers needed to curtail the Allied bomber onslaught afflicting Germany in World War 2 (1939-1945). In addition to this, the aircraft would have to be reasonably simple to fly and maintain, lending itself well to the stock of raw recruits envisioned to pilot the People's Fighter. The largely disposable design was written around a requirement for a lightweight, high-speed fighter-interceptor powered by a single BMW 003 series turbojet engine.
While many entries were considered, winner rights fell to the Heinkel He 162 with its over-fuselage jet-mounted engine and split tail arrangement. Despite some 320 units being constructed before war's end in 1945, what aircraft of this stock were available for fighting did little to change Germany's fortunes in its failing war effort.
Another concept was drawn up by ship-builder and large aeroplane-maker Blohm-und-Voss (BV) which proposed futuristic-looking designs like the Bv P.210. This aircraft was a further evolution of the company's proposed P.209.01. The P.210 was of extremely compact dimensions and well-streamlined for the expected high-speed flying envelopes. It was to fit its BMW 003A-1/B turbojet of 1,765lb - 1,800lb thrust output directly into the aft section of the fuselage, aspirated at the nose by a small, rounded intake and exhausted at the rear through a similar fitting. The cockpit was positioned over the ductwork and towards the nose with little framing used for excellent vision for the single pilot. A wholly retractable tricycle undercarriage was penciled in for ground-running. Construction of the aircraft would have involved steel.
The primary interesting quality of this little fighter were its mainplanes: set low against the sides of the fuselage and at midships. These members were given substantial sweepback along both the leading and trailing edges, so much so that the wings terminated at the nearly the same line as the exhaust port. As the fuselage did not mount tail surfaces of any sort, these were installed at the wingtips and slightly cranked downward which, combined with the upward angle of the mainplanes, gave the aircraft a gull-type wing (similar in respect to the Bv P.208 offering detailed elsewhere on this site).
Proposed armament was the typical twin cannon fit: 2 x 30mm MK108 automatic guns, one seated to either side of the nose.
Beyond its turbojet engine propulsion scheme, engineers proposed Rocket-Assisted Take-Offs (RATOs) for their little bomber-interceptor as optional - this designed to get the aircraft to altitude in as little time as possible.
As drawn up, the P.210 had a running length of 23 feet, wingspan of 27.6 feet, and a height of 8.5 feet.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
23.3 ft (7.10 m)
Width/Span
27.6 ft (8.40 m)
Height
8.5 ft (2.60 m)
Empty Wgt
5,512 lb (2,500 kg)
MTOW
7,716 lb (3,500 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,205 lb (+1,000 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Blohm and Voss Bv P.210 production variant)
Installed:
1 x BMW 003A-1/B turbojet engine developing 1,765lb to 1,800lb of thrust.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Blohm and Voss Bv P.210 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
PROPOSED:
2 x 30mm MK108 automatic cannons in sides of forward fuselage (one gun to a side).
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
P.210 - Base Series Designation; design study work only.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Nazi Germany (abandoned)
