Messerschmitt Me 261
E527454
The Messerschmitt Me 261 was a long-range German experimental aircraft developed before and during World War II for potential transatlantic and record-breaking flights.
Statements (43)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
German aircraft
ⓘ
World War II-era aircraft ⓘ experimental long-range aircraft ⓘ |
| aircraftType | landplane ⓘ |
| airframeConstruction | all-metal construction ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs | Adolfine NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| armament | none in prototypes ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Germany ⓘ |
| crew | 5 ⓘ |
| cruiseSpeed | ~430 km/h ⓘ |
| designConfiguration | twin-engine layout with coupled engines ⓘ |
| designedBy | Messerschmitt design team led by Willy Messerschmitt ⓘ |
| designedFor | very long-range flights without refuelling ⓘ |
| developmentStartYear | late 1930s ⓘ |
| engineType | Daimler-Benz DB 606 coupled engines NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| era |
World War II development
ⓘ
pre–World War II development ⓘ |
| firstFlightDate | 1940-12-23 ⓘ |
| height | 4.60 m ⓘ |
| historicalNote | conceived partly for propaganda long-distance flights ⓘ |
| intendedUse |
long-distance record attempts
ⓘ
transatlantic flights ⓘ |
| landingGear | retractable tailwheel landing gear ⓘ |
| length | 16.68 m ⓘ |
| manufacturer | Messerschmitt NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| maximumSpeed | ~620 km/h ⓘ |
| maximumTakeoffWeight | ~24,000 kg ⓘ |
| notableFeature |
integral wing fuel tanks for extended range
ⓘ
use of coupled engines to achieve high power ⓘ |
| numberBuilt | 3 ⓘ |
| operator | Luftwaffe (test and evaluation) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| powerplantConfiguration | two DB 606 powerplants each driving a propeller ⓘ |
| programOutcome | did not enter mass production ⓘ |
| programType | record-flight project ⓘ |
| range | over 10,000 km planned ⓘ |
| role |
long-range reconnaissance aircraft
ⓘ
long-range record-breaking aircraft ⓘ |
| serviceCeiling | ~8,000 m ⓘ |
| status | prototype only ⓘ |
| successor | none (no direct production successor) ⓘ |
| usedInCombat | no ⓘ |
| wingConfiguration | low-wing monoplane ⓘ |
| wingspan | 26.86 m ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.