Brengun Natter M23 - Out of Box manned missile!

[Faust]

When it comes to crazy, desperate ideas executed with inappropriate haste, advanced-yet-available technology and a good side helping of Teutonic efficiency, there’s little doubt that the WWII Luftwaffe has to be champion. Be it rocket planes that were more dangerous to their crews than the enemy or stealthy flying wing fighters, the RLM and German industry were up to a lot of different things as WWII came to a close.

One of the more frightening ones that saw testing and actual deployment was the Bachem Natter. This was a VTO point defence fighter, more akin to a “Manned Missile” than any other aircraft that made it to service, except the Japanese Ohka. Of course, in great German fashion, there were all kinds of tests and prototypes! One such machine was the first (and only) manned article, Natter M23. The good folks at Brengun have actually made a kit of this little (and deadly) oddity. Check it out at the link below!

https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/out-of-box-reviews/brengun-1-72-bp-20-natter-mustermaschine-m22-m23-oob/

[shoopdog]

Looks like a cool and unique kit. I don't think I would want to be strapped into that though!

[Faust]

No, it's a really bad plan...

I think the Natter would have been better served by just putting in 200lbs of TNT and a proximity fuse and firing it into the bomber stream. I mean, it HAD autopilot for during the launch sequence, so using it as a ballistic SAM seems like a better, and safer, idea to me!

[64Comet404]

It's a great looking kit, but the entire premise of the plane is scary. Thankfully, the regime surrendered before these contraptions were used in anger.

BTW, great article and build on the Grunau Baby in SAMI. Another example of German ingenuity at work!

[Mike999]

Signs you may want to re-think your project:  when its first manned flight kills the test pilot...

As always, thanks for a great write-up on this little monster. 

The WWII German aircraft industry seemed to share a lot with its tank industry: when it could have improved on well-tested existing designs and put them into production quickly, it was always haring off into Bizarro-Land and starting from scratch on totally bonkers ideas.  One of my favorites is shown below, the P1000 Landkreuzer "Ratte."  Notice another Bad German Idea shown for scale, the 3 "Maus" tanks.  This thing is exactly what it looks like:  a naval gun turret sitting on top of a hull about the size of a 3-story apartment building.  It probably couldn't have been built in quantity with the combined production facilities of the U.S., the British Commonwealth AND Russia.  Let alone Germany in 1945. 

 

[Faust]

You know what makes that Ratte  box? The UFOs! Great sense of humour, Takom!  Seriously, when your HULL GUN is the main gun from THE BIGGEST TANK EVER, you could be accused of <cough> compensating <cough>. I'm sure it would have been easy enough to knock out one of those Rattes with a Grand Slam, just to make the point!

Oh, on the subject of the Natter - there was also a proposal to make them out of thick cardboard. Yes. Cardboard. Just like those old Estes rockets we likely all had when we were kids. Makes "to the moon, Alice" take on a whole new meaning... Why work on Sams or improving the Komet when you have... CARDBOARD DEATH ROCKETS! Sigh...

Thanks for the compliments on the Baby article too. What's really funny is that article is a mistake; it was already published in December 2015's article. At that time, Nobody gave me any feedback. This time, I've heard from multiple people that they really enjoyed the article! Makes me glad I wrote it, and that it was accidentally re-released! 

[89AKurt]

Think I've seen one of these at a contest.  Sign of desperation to say the least.

I've always had in interest in paper projects.  I started this Dragon kit years ago, finished last year.  Of course Takom came out with one recently.

[Snake45]

9 hours ago, Mike999 said:

Signs you may want to re-think your project:  when its first manned flight kills the test pilot...

As always, thanks for a great write-up on this little monster. 

The WWII German aircraft industry seemed to share a lot with its tank industry: when it could have improved on well-tested existing designs and put them into production quickly, it was always haring off into Bizarro-Land and starting from scratch on totally bonkers ideas.  One of my favorites is shown below, the P1000 Landkreuzer "Ratte."  Notice another Bad German Idea shown for scale, the 3 "Maus" tanks.  This thing is exactly what it looks like:  a naval gun turret sitting on top of a hull about the size of a 3-story apartment building.  It probably couldn't have been built in quantity with the combined production facilities of the U.S., the British Commonwealth AND Russia.  Let alone Germany in 1945. 

 

How on earth would you get that monstrosity to where you needed it? certainly not by railroad. You would literally have to build it on-site. Either that, or drive it the whole way, crushing whatever was in its path (and getting mileage measured in feet per gallon). 

[bisc63]

This is right up there with my other favorite Krazy Krauts idea:

[Faust]

Ah yes, the Julia! That, the Zeppelin Rammer and of course the Piloted V1 (Fi-103) all take the concept of the "lightweight fighter" to the extremes. Don't forget the BV-141 GLIDER fighter, too! That was actually built!

Still, those seem tame in comparison to things like the Triebflugel VTOL and the Piloted V2??! If only they'd had a plane that ran on dreams, they'd have won for sure...

[Snake45]

14 hours ago, Faust said:

Don't forget the BV-141 GLIDER fighter, too! That was actually built!

As far as I know, Robin Olds is the only person in history to have shot down an enemy aircraft in a glider. 

[Mike999]

Vas ist BV-141 glider?  The only BV-141 I know of was weird enough - the asymmetrical recon plane built by Blohm & Voss.  Its appearance freaked out pilots at first glance, for good reason. It looked like something that shouldn't fly. But AFAIK, that was actually a pretty good aircraft.  It didn't go into full-scale production only because it was beaten out by the Fw-189. 

For years, the only 1/48 scale kit of the BV-141 was a...challenging short-run kit from Historic Plastic Models (HiPM). The entire crew pod was molded in clear plastic.   A few years ago, Hobby Boss released a very nice BV-141 kit in 1/48. According to the reviews, it's even a pretty easy build.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2018 by Mike999
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[Faust]

Oh for... 

Yes, that's the BV-141 alright. God, I must be getting old, or stupid, or both! Now it is weird, but it's neither a glider nor a fighter. :/

Sorry, I meant BV-40. That one's the glider.

 

[89AKurt]

6 hours ago, Mike999 said:

[...] A few years ago, Hobby Boss released a very nice BV-141 kit in 1/48. According to the reviews, it's even a pretty easy build.

That's one of the few airplane kits I have!  I have the Squadron catalog article, photo-etch and masking and correct propeller details too.  Even have the half-track motorcycle to go with it.  Have something else, and have built 3 Luft 46 planes.  Yea, I'm crazy.

[stavanzer]

For all your Luft 46 Needs.

 

http://www.luft46.com/