Uhu Power
Power for the principle He 219 A-7 model was derived from a pair of Daimler-Benz DB 603E liquid-cooled inverted V12 inline engines delivering 1,900 horsepower each. Her maximum take-off weight was listed at just under 30,000lbs. A maximum speed of 385 miles per hour was reported as was a range of 960 miles. Her ferry range was an impressive 1,335 miles while her operating ceiling was near 30,500 feet, requiring the use of the aforementioned pressurized cockpit for both of her crew.
Uhu Armament
Any night-fighter was essentially only as good as her armament and the He 219 did not disappoint. Her armament suite centered around bomber-killing cannons stationed throughout the strong points of her airframe. 4 x 20mm MG 151 cannons were situated in an ventral fairing (also called a "gunpack") with 300 projectiles per cannon. An additional 2 x 20mm MG 151 cannons were fitted into the wing roots and also afforded 300 projectiles per cannon. 2 x 30mm MK 108 series cannons were fitted just aft of the cockpit in a "Schrage Musik" installation. This installation held each cannon at 65-degree angles to fire obliquely and were given 100 projectiles per cannon. The Schrage Musik installation allowed the He 219 crew to position the aircraft behind and beneath a targeted enemy bomber. From this vantage point, she could her to fire her guns in an upwards-forward angle against what was traditionally the least protected position of any Allied bomber design.
Of particular note in terms of the weapons arrangement of the He 219 was that all were set far away from the pilots field of vision. One can imagine how temporary blindness could set in for a pilot who was witness to the muzzle flash of his cannons in the dark of night. This blindness could leave a given night-fighter crew vulnerable for a time, as what was discovered in other night-fighters such as the British Boulton Paul Defiant and her four-gun powered turret seated directly behind the pilot. The He 219 weapons were set well aft of the cockpit and worked well to hide the interrupting flash patterns of her cannon from the pilot.
Variants
The He 219 A-0 became the pre-production/prototype Uhu which later gave birth to some 104 total production models fitting the Daimler-Benz DB 603A series engine of 1,750 horsepower. The He 219 A-1 was a proposed dedicated reconnaissance-bomber version that was ultimately abandoned. The He 219 A-2 followed along the same lines as the A-0 but featured revised engine nacelles that were extended and incorporated additional internal fuel for increased operational ranges. These were built in 85 examples and fitted with the Daimler-Benz DB 603AA engines of 1,650 horsepower.
The He 219 A-2/R1 became the two-seat night-fighter variant fully-armed with 2 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in the wingroots, 2 x 30mm MK 108 cannons in the ventral tray and a further 2 x MK 108 in an obliquely firing emplacement aft of the cockpit.
The He 219 A-5 was a proposed three-man Uhu design that only existed in prototype forms and was based on the A-2.
The He 219 A-6 was envisioned as a dedicated "anti-Mosquito" airframe, lighter than her previous forms, and armed simply with 4 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons. The A-6 also had some of her radio communications equipment removed to help lighten her overall load and therefore help to increase performance - particularly in top speed. These modifications allowed the A-6 the capability of reaching near-400 mile per hour speeds at altitude.
The He 219 A-7 was an improved form of the base night-fighters already in circulation and ended up becoming the final Uhu production variant. Armament consisted of 2 x 30mm Mk 108 cannons in the wingroots, 2 x 30mm MK 103 cannons paired with 2 x 20mm MG 151/20 cannons in the underfuselage weapons tray as well as 2 x 30mm Mk 108 cannons in the Schrage Musik arrangement along the upper fuselage aft of the cockpit. Typically, the MK 103 cannons were nixed from in-the-field Uhus to help preserve a respectable operating weight and maximum speed. A-7s were powered by a pair of Daimler-Benz DB 603E series inline piston engines of 1,900 horsepower and some 210 were on order by late 1944.
The He 219B
The He 219B was the next logical evolution in the He 219 line but was never furthered. B-models would have been fielded with the Junkers Jumo 222A/B series engines rated at 2,200 horsepower for an impressive estimated speed of 440 miles per hour. High-altitude performance would have been addressed by longer-spanning wings (measuring up to 72 feet). The B-model only existed in a few "mutt" forms, these being either existing A-models with the developmental long-span wings or models with different high-performance engine configurations. At any rate, the He 219B was not to be for the history books.
The He 219C
The He 219C was another intended evolution in the He 219 line. This would have been a three-man airframe using the aforementioned long-spanning wing assembly for improved high-altitude performance as well as the Junkers Jumo 222 series powerplants. The fuselage would have been an all-new offering making room for a rear powered tail turret for one of the crew. Though plans were enacted and construction materials made ready, the He 219C was never even completed even as a prototype and the requested Jumo engines were never made available.
The He 219E
The He 219E existed only in paper form and was a proposed super-high altitude "stalker" with greater spanning wings measuring up to 93.5 feet. Engines would have been Daimler-Benz DB 614 series powerplants which were reportedly based on the DB 603C series, the new systems rated at about 2,000 horsepower a piece. The He 219E became one of the many Third Reich "paper projects" on file, never to see a workable prototype form.
Existing Uhus
He 219 A-2 "Uhu" (Wekummer 290202) was brought to the American mainland by the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Reaper sometime in 1945. Her restored fuselage is now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport while her wings are still undergoing restoration. She represents one of the few surviving Uhu's in existence today - a small testament to her limited legacy.
The He 219 was also captured and evaluated by the British after the war and photographed in RAF colors.
Conclusion
With so much working against the Uhu, it is a wonder that nearly 300 systems were ever produced. Internal wrangling surely played a part in the aircraft's limited reach and one was left to his/her imagination as to whether the He 219 would have had any sort of impact against the lethal night-time bombing campaign of the RAF. The He 219 fell in line with many of the other available aircraft projects for the Luftwaffe, destined to never realize their potential. As it stood, the He 219 was a promising design at its core and proven by her limited sorties and furthered in legacy only by the word of her crews. Beyond that, the Uhu played only a small role in what had become the all-out defense of the German homeland. Had German authorities been on the same page regarding its usefulness and fate, the Uhu might have played a greater role in extending the war for some time longer in favor of the Reich - this while more potent jet-powered designs of German origin were becoming available.
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