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Blohm & Voss BV 222
1940 flying boat family by Blohm & Voss / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Blohm & Voss BV 222 Wiking (pronounced "Veeking") was a large six-engined German flying boat designed and built by the German aircraft manufacturer Blohm & Voss. It was the largest flying boat to attain operational status during the Second World War.[1][2]
BV 222 Wiking | |
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The BV 222 Wiking in flight | |
Role | Passenger, cargo or air ambulance Flying boat |
Manufacturer | Blohm & Voss |
First flight | 7 September 1940 |
Introduction | 1941 |
Primary user | Luftwaffe |
Number built | 13 |
The BV 222 was originally developed during the late 1930s as a commercial venture to serve the transatlantic and other long distance routes of the German flag carrier Luft Hansa. It featured a relatively uninterrupted interior, free of bulkheads, and retractable floats; its use of diesel-powered engines made it easier to be refuelled at sea. By the time of its maiden flight on 7 September 1940, Nazi Germany was almost one year into the Second World War and the operation of long distance civil services was not realistic, thus development was reorientated towards military roles. On 10 July 1941, V1 undertook its first cargo transport mission with the Luftwaffe; further logistics use proceeded thereafter. Later that year, the first armed BV 222s were delivered. Production standard aircraft, designated BV 222C, did not emerge until 1943.
The BV 222 was operated by the Luftwaffe, typically for logistical purposes, across numerous theatres, including the Norway, France, North Africa and even the Arctic. At one point, Nazi officials were considering establishing a long distance air route between Germany and Japan using modified BV 222s flying from Kirkenes in north Norway to Tokyo via Sakhalin Island, a distance of 6,400 km (4,000 mi). After the Allied Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, all of the remaining BV 222s were transferred to KG 200. At the end of the conflict, several BV 222s were reportedly captured and subsequently operated by both the United States and Britain; they were allegedly studied and influenced the design of future flying boats. No BV 222s have been preserved.