The Z Projekt

From my perspective the Bf 109 has always been one of the most interesting Axis aircraft of WW2.  Most of the following info has been dug up from references in my personal library

History of the aircraft

The Messerschmitt development department received a directive in 1942 to begin work on a Zerstörer (destroyer, or heavy fighter). An earlier RLM directive of 1941 had tried to limit the amount of new designs coming from the major aircraft companies (to not disrupt the production lines with new aircraft), so it was decided to couple two Bf 109 fuselages together, along with a new center wing and tailplane section, to come up with the Bf 109Z (Zwilling, or twin).
          The Bf 109Z prototype incorporated two Bf 109F-4 fuselages, joined with a new constant chord wing center section and parallel chord tailplane. Included also was the 109F-4 powerplant, the Daimler Benz DB 601E-1 engine (12 cylinder, liquid-cooled, inverted V - 1750 horsepower on takeoff). A single pilot sat in the port cockpit and the starboard cockpit was faired over.   The planned night fighter variant was a dual control aircraft with the starboard cockpit be oriented toward controlling the radar.  It was projected to use the same radar installed in other late war night fighters such as the He-219.
          Several other Bf 109Z designs were planned, developed around the 109G  fuselages. The Me 109Z was to use around 90% of pre-existing 109 parts, with only the new main wing and tailplane, modified landing gear mountings, slightly larger wheels, extra fuel tanks in place of the starboard cockpit and a few other components needed to complete the aircraft. Sources differ on the actual number produced and whether any actually flew an operational sortie.  It seems likely that as many as 5 different prototypes were completed the first  prototype was completed in early 1943, but it was damaged in an Allied air attack on the Messerschmitt test center, and the damage was deemed too severe for repair. The development was abandoned in 1944, and by then, the Me 262 jet fighter had taken wing

Zwilling concept test plane

109Z-1 Performance Data
 

Why I'm building it

I think its bound to not have many planes like it at the field anytime I take it out to fly.  The added bonus of building this plane is that it does get over the narrow gear stance issues of the regular Bf 109 models.  A great deal of complicity in pushing me over the top in doing this one goes to two people.  Ty Brown, some may recognize him as a guy who shows up on a couple popular RC websites posting pix of his projects and answering all the questions about Meister Scale products.  You couldn't ask for a nicer guy to help you out.  The other guilty party would be Craig Lovell.  I can't say too much about Craig without fear of setting off corporate censor software (just kidding).  He threw down the gauntlet by uttering "I double dog dare you".  I know it says a lot about my will power.

What I'm building

So now that I'm done fooling around and assigning blame where appropriate, what am I building? 

Its based on the Meister Scale 84" 109 plan using laser cut parts from Trillium Balsa via Meister Scale.  By using the 84" Meister 109 I didn't have to worry about creating tooling to develop the canopy, blisters, spinners etc..  The only design work I really have to do is draw up a wing center section and cut the necessary parts as well as figure out how to construct and mount the horizontal stabilizer.  We have a local warbird club that has served as a sounding board for some concepts and Ty, Craig and the folks on RCScaleBuilder.com have been helpful in figuring out how to deal with the H. stabilizer.  The only real challenge identified thus far has been the lack of some templates on the Meister plan and Ty helped out with that.  Oh its only going to have one set of retracts.  To help with transportation and storage I'm going to have the plane breakdown into a 3 piece wing, two fuselages and the horizontal stab.  My plane will have a "could have been" scale finish in that the plane never entered squadron service and I don't want to take the time to do all the detailing.  It is my hope to have it completed and flying early in the 2005 season so I can take it to the Muncie Warbird event around Labor Day.

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