Internally, the aircraft would be cleared to carry a bomb load of up to 4,400 pounds. Provision was also made for the carrying of 2 x "Fritz X" guided bombs. Comparatively, the famous B-17 held a bombload of 4,500lb on long-range missions. The B-24 managed better at 5,000lb over the same range.
The initial P.188.01 form was to be completely unarmed so as to keep the aircraft's gross weight down. It was intended that the aircraft could simply outrun any dangers encountered. Power would come from 4 x Junkers Jumo 004C turbojets held in individual underwing nacelles.
The P.188.02 was to be a dimensionally smaller version of the 01 and sport a twin-rudder tail arrangement replacing the single rudder design. Also the cockpit would be raised for better vision over the aircraft and no defensive guns would be carried to keep weight down.
The P.188.04 was a long-range model of similar design though with a slimmer fuselage. Its wings would also carry fuel tanks used to help increase operational reaches. Other structural changes including the twin-finned tail unit of 02 and paired engines in single nacelles for better streamlining, a single nacelle per wing element. For defense, the 04 was to carry a pair of remote-controlled, twin-gunned (30mm MG131) barbettes in a dorsal and ventral position. In addition to this there would be a pair of 30mm MG151 automatic cannons in a fixed, rearward-firing mounting at the aft fuselage sides. Another pair of MG151 cannons would be installed in the redesigned nose section (some sources state a simplified whole-aircraft armament scheme of 4 x 13mm heavy machine guns for the P.188.04).
The Junkers engines were rated to produce up to 2,690lb of thrust each which, it was estimated, would have given the P.188 a maximum speed of 542 miles per hour. Rate-of-climb was to reach 2,245 feet-per-minute and a service ceiling of 42,655 feet was believed attainable. The reach of the aircraft was out to 1,420 miles, or about six hours of flight time, which may have been a very optimistic estimate.
The P.188 was drawn up with a wingspan of 88.5 feet and an overall length of 57 feet.
The Blohm & Voss heavy jet bomber design was not selected by the German Air Ministry for further development and ended its days as a "paper airplane" on company drawing boards. The Junkers Ju 287 made a greater imprint in the post-war period as it was collected and studied at length by the conquering Soviets. It went on to influence several Soviet post-war jet-powered designs. Only two were built by the Germans before the end of the war though a first-flight was had in August of 1944.
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