NIEMIECKI PIERŚCIENIOPŁAT HEINKEL LERCHE

Heinkel Lerche was a project for a German WWII fighter plane. The machine had an avant-garde ring-wing shape that was virtually unheard of in aviation. The drive was to be provided by two Daimler-Benz DB603E or DB605 engines with a total power from 4,000 to 4,800 HP. Two 30 mm Mk.108 cannons were to be used as deck armament. Heinkel Lerce was established at the end of World War II, at the turn of 1944-1945, and its main goal was to fight the Allied bombing against German industry and cities. Due to the possibility of destroying own airports, it was assumed that the plane would be capable of vertical take-off and landing, which in turn was determined by the extremely unusual design layout. By March 1945, the initial tests of the aircraft had been completed, but the lack of supplies of adequate raw materials and the approaching end of the war prevented the flight of the prototype. It is worth adding that the Heinkel Wespe was a very similar aircraft, but it used a single turboprop engine.