VJ101C-X2 SUPERSONIC-CAPABLE VTOL FIGHTER

The EWR VJ 101 was a West German experimental aircraft from the post-war period. The machine first flew in 1963, but never entered production. In the course of the tests, only two prototype units were created. The propulsion was provided by six Rolls-Royce RB145 turbojets with a thrust of 12.2 kN each. The length of the plane was 15.7 meters with a wingspan of 6.61 meters. The plane did not have on-board weapons. The EWR VJ 101 aircraft was developed by a consortium established especially for this purpose Entwicklungsring Süd , consisting of the companies Bölkow, Heinkel and Messerschmitt. The new machine was designed to order the West German Ministry of Defense, which in the late 1950s sought to acquire a VTOL interceptor, i.e. vertical take-off and landing, which would be capable of operating in all weather conditions. The plane uses special rotating pylons, each containing two jet engines. In addition, two more engines were placed behind the pilot's cabin. Despite the fact that one of the EWR VJ 101 copies exceeded the sound barrier in horizontal flight (the first VTOL aircraft in history to do so!), The entire project was canceled in 1968. This decision was probably influenced by the crash of one of the prototypes, as well as the inability of the prototypes to reach the assumed speed. The only copy of the plane was handed over to the Deutsches Museum in Munich.