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Aviation of World War II |
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Me-309
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The new aircraft, which was given the designation Me 309, could indeed become a very good fighter. It was a single-engine all-metal low-wing aircraft with a new for that time landing gear with a nose strut. Taking into account the pilots' complaints about the insufficient stability of the Bf 109 when taxiing, due to the small gauge of the chassis, the Me 309 had a chassis with a gauge increased by about one and a half times. The main landing gear retracted in flight towards the fuselage, while the nose gear retracted back into the fuselage with a 90° turn. Located in the middle part of the fuselage, the pressurized cockpit was covered with a characteristic teardrop-shaped canopy, providing good visibility in all directions. The aircraft was equipped with a very powerful 12-cylinder DB 603A-1 engine (1750 hp), which, in combination with a three-blade variable pitch propeller, was supposed to provide a maximum flight speed of 740 km / h. The engine cooling system had an in-flight air intake with low drag. ![]() |
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