Blohm & Voss BV 40

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The Blohm & Voss BV 40 was a German glider fighter designed to attack Allied bomber formations. By eliminating the engine and positioning the pilot in a prone position (i.e., lying on the front), the cross-sectional area of the aircraft was much reduced, making the aircraft much harder for bomber gunners to hit.

Its key features were a very narrow and fairly heavily armored cockpit, and two MK 108 cannons in the wing roots with very limited ammunition. The fuselage was constructed almost entirely of wood, a non-strategic material. During its short attack time the glider would fire its weapons, then glide back to earth, although for a time, the idea of carrying a bomb on a cable behind the glider was entertained.

The first flight was in the May of 1944. Several prototypes were completed, but the project was stopped later in the year as the end of the war drew near.

pecifications

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crew=One pilot
capacity=
length m=5.70
length ft=18
length in=8
span m=7.90
span ft=25
span in=11
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=1.63
height ft=5
height in=4
wing area sqm=8.7
wing area sqft=94
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=835
empty weight lb=1,840
gross weight kg=950
gross weight lb=2,090
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=
eng1 type=
eng1 kw=
eng1 hp=
eng1 kn=
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eng2 number=
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eng2 kw=
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eng2 kn-ab=
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max speed kmh=900
max speed mph=560
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=
ceiling ft=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
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armament1=2 × fixed, forward-firing 30 mm Rheinmetall Borsig MK 108 cannons (35 rounds per gun = 70 rounds total)
armament2=
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ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
sequence=
lists=
* List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
* List of military aircraft of Germany
see also=
* Blohm + Voss
* Blohm & Voss BV 246

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Green, William. "War Planes of the Second World War, Volume One: Fighters". London: Macdonald & Co.(Publishers) Ltd., 10th impression 1972, p. 78-79. ISBN 0-356-01445-2.
* Green, William. "War Planes of the Third Reich". London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 4th impression 1979, p. 100-102. ISBN 0-356-02382-6.
* Smith, J. Richard and Kay, Anthony. "German Aircraft of the Second World War". London: Putnam 7 Company Ltd., 3rd impression 1978, p. 84-88. ISBN 0-370-00024-2.
* Wood, Tony and Gunston, Bill. "Hitler's Luftwaffe, a pictorial history and technical encyclopedia of Hitler's air power in World War II". London: Salamander Books, 1977, p. 138. ISBN 0-86101-005-1.