The Blohm & Voss Ha 139 was a German all-metal inverted gull wingfloatplane. With its four engines it was at the time one of the largest float-equipped seaplanes that had been built. The inboard engines were mounted at the joint between the inboard anhedral and outboard dihedral wing sections, above the pylon-mounted floats.
Further development of the Ha 139 led to the land-based version Blohm & Voss BV 142 which had its first flight in October 1938.
A Ha 139 on board the catapult ship Friesenland.
The aircraft were flown by Deutsche Luft Hansa on transatlantic routes between 1937 and 1939, predominantly between Bathurst, The Gambia and Natal, Brazil. Catapult-launched from an aircraft tender they were able to transport 500 kilograms (1,100lb) of mail over a distance of up to 5,000 kilometres (3,100mi).
On the outbreak of World War II, the planes were transferred to the Luftwaffe and used for transport, reconnaissance and minesweeping work over the Baltic Sea. They were not particularly suited for military use.
Catapult launched floatplane mail-carrier design for Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH), became the Ha 139.
Projekt 20
A reconnaissance-bomber derivative of Projekt 15 submitted to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) (German air Ministry) which generated little interest.
Ha 139 V1
D-AMIE, named Nordmeer — First of two initial prototypes
Ha 139 V2
D-AJEY, named Nordwind — Second of two initial prototypes
Ha 139 V3
D-ASTA, named Nordstern — Third prototype with longer wingspan, increased wing area and modified engine mounts.
Ha 139B
The Ha 139 V3 was given new triangular fins, and re-designated while in service with DLH.
Ha 139B/Umbau
After service with DLH, the Ha 139B was modified as the Ha 139B/Umbau with an extended glazed nose accommodating a navigator and a spherical Ikaria mount for a machine-gun. Additional machine guns were mounted in the cockpit roof hatch and in lateral mountings on either side of the rear fuselage.
Ha 139B/MS
The Ha 139B/Umbau was later modified into a minesweeper (Minensuch) with a magnetic cable loosely run between the nose, wing-tips, and tail.
Model of the third prototype in Minensuch (minesweeper) configuration at Museum of Flight
Green, William (2010). Aircraft of the Third Reich (1sted.). London: Aerospace Publishing Limited. p.34. ISBN978-1-900732-06-2.
Bibliography
Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 4th impression 1979, p.78–80. ISBN0-356-02382-6.
Munson, Kenneth (1978). German Aircraft Of World War 2 in colour. Poole, Dorsett, UK: Blandford Press. ISBN0-7137-0860-3.
Smith J.Richard and Kay, Anthony. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 3rd impression 1978, p.63–66. ISBN0-370-00024-2.
Wood, Tony and Gunston, Bill. Hitler's Luftwaffe: A pictorial history and technical encyclopedia of Hitler's air power in World War II. London: Salamander Books Ltd., 1977, p.133. ISBN0-86101-005-1.
Green, William (2010). Aircraft of the Third Reich (1sted.). London: Aerospace Publishing Limited. p.34. ISBN978-1-900732-06-2.
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