BLOHM AND VOSS BV P.196.01

Blohm und Voss P.196 was a project of a German WWII dive bomber. The propulsion was supposed to be provided by two BMW 003 jet engines. The on-board armament was to consist of four 20 mm or 30 mm cannons. The plane was to be capable of carrying a load of bombs weighing up to 1000 kilograms. The machine has never been tested, much less entered mass production. The Blohm und Voss P.196 was designed as the successor to the Ju-87 Stukas bomber by a team of engineers led by Richard Vogt. The design was highly avant-garde: it involved a double-beam vertical tail, a large center wing and a very short fuselage. The power unit consisting of two engines was to be located under the fuselage of the plane. Moreover, the use of a classic double-support main undercarriage was planned. Ultimately, however, the Blohm und Voss production office quickly abandoned the P.196 project - the machine never got past that stage.