Huh I never noted that before. Maby a H-0 with Grun 9's scheme is in order. And Maby a H-1 with this scheme. Here is a Story on the Super Doras evolution.
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Focke-Wulf Ta 152
Kurt Tank's finest
As promised, here is the follow-on to the Fw 190D story --- Kurt Tank's own Ta 152.
Before the end of 1940, the Focke-Wulf design bureau headed by Dipl.-Ing. Kurt Tank had initiated work on variants of the Fw 190 intended to improve its high-altitude performance. Three alternative proposals were considered, designated Fw 190B, C, and D. The Fw 190B was basically similar to the Fw 190A, but was to be powered by a BMW 801 radial boosted by nitrous-oxide (GM 1) injection pending the availability of an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger. A pressure cabin was to be fitted, and the wing area was to be increased. The Fw 190C was basically similar to the B but was to be powered by the Daimler Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled engine using either a mechanically-driven supercharger operating in conjunction with nitrous oxide injection or a turbosupercharger. The Fw 190D was powered by the Jumo 213. The Fw 190B and C both ran into an extensive series of teething problems, and, in the event, never entered production. Priority was therefore given to the Fw 190D even though Tank felt that that the DB 603 was a better high-altitude engine than the Jumo 213 and had greater development potential. The result was the superb "Dora" version of the Fw 190, which was described in a previous post.
When Germany declared war on the USA, the Luftwaffe had initially assumed that the Americans would give the war in the Pacific their first priority, and had not worried too much about high-altitude bombing raids from B-17 bombers. However, by the autumn of 1942, it became readily apparent that the USAAF was planning a full-scale massive bombing campaign against Germany from its bases in the UK, and that the Luftwaffe would soon require fighters with better high-altitude performances to face the threat from American bombers. By that time, the Luftwaffe was also aware of the existence of the B-29, and they were also aware that the existing Fw 190 would be incapable of effectively intercepting this American bomber at the altitudes at which it was supposedly capable of operating. Consequently, Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank undertook the development of of a Hochleistungsjäger, or High-performance Fighter, offering a much improved combat ceiling.
The Luftwaffe envisaged a two-phase program for the production of its new high-altitude fighter. The first phase would produce an aircraft based to the extent possible on an existing production airframe. The second phase would design a fighter from the ground up specifically for the high-altitude role.
To meet the requirements of the first phase, Focke-Wulf proposed the Fw 190 Ra-2 and Ra-3 designs, both based on the Fw 190D. These two proposals were basically similar, differing from each other principally in wing span and armament, the Ra-2 having a standard Fw 190D wing and the Ra-3 having extended wing outer panels giving a wing with a rather high aspect ratio. The engine was to be a Jumo 213E with a a three-speed two-stage supercharger and induction cooler which offered superior high-altitude performance over the Jumo 213A. Both designs had a pressure cabin and provision for both nitrous oxide (GM 1) and methanol-water (MW50) injection. The fuselage was common to both models, and was lengthened to provide increased internal capacity. The cockpit was moved sixteen inches further aft in relation to the wing attachment points in order to balance the center of gravity. Vertical tail surfaces were enlarged, and both aircraft had a 30-mm engine-mounted cannon and a pair of 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wing roots, however the Ra-2 was to have an additional pair of MG 151s in the upper deck of the forward fuselage.
The requirements of the second phase were to be met by the Fw 190 Ra-4D. Although it was based broadly on the Fw 190, the Ra-4D embodied a complete structural redesign and numerous aerodynamic refinements. It was from the start to use a turbosupercharged Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine, the engine which Kurt Tank had preferred all along.
Dipl.-Ing Kurt Tank had by this time obtained almost legendary status as a result of his successful aircraft designs, and the RLM decided to honor him by using the prefix "Ta" instead of "Fw" for aircraft coming out of his design bureau. Since the Ra-2 and Ra-3 were considered sufficiently different from their predecessors to deserve a new designation, they were the first to receive the new "Ta" prefix. They were both redesignated Ta 152 by the end of 1942. Logic would seem to dictate that the Ra-2 and Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H and K, since they followed on directly from the Fw 190F and G (I and J were not used as suffixes). However, Tank had a different idea. He proposed that the short-span Ra-2 be designated Ta 152B, where the B stood for Begeleitjäger or Escort Fighter, and the long-span Ra-3 be designated Ta 152H, where the H stood for Hohenjäger or High-Altitude Fighter. Such was the prestige of Kurt Tank that he immediately got his way. The Ra-4D was assigned the designation Ta 153.
Although Tank was pressing the Luftwaffe to allocate production priority to the Ta 152, the authorities were reluctant to disrupt existing assembly lines for the introduction of a new type. Consequently, the work on the Ta 152 proceeded only very slowly, and it was not until the spring of 1944 that serious preparations for production were begun. By that time, the USAAF bomber offensive was in full gear, and the Luftwaffe was in dire straits. The Luftwaffe desperately needed a counter to the P-51 Mustang which was cutting German fighters to pieces.
The wing of the proposed Ra-4D/Ta 153 had a slightly greater span and area than that of the Fw 190D. This wing was seen to have certain advantages over the wing originally envisaged for the Ta 152. In addition to having better aerodynamic characteristics, the Ta 153 wing was deemed easier to manufacture and was capable of carrying more fuel. The Luftwaffe consequently proposed that that the new wing be adopted for the Ta 152B, with the outboard panels and flaps being extended for the long-span Ta 152H.
Kurt Tank was still pressing for permission to use the DB 603 engine in the Ta 152, owing to its superiority over the Jumo 213E at high altitudes. Although the Luftwaffe still insisted that the Jumo 213E remain the primary Ta 152 powerplant, it permitted Tank to begin work on a DB 603-powered version under the designation Ta 152C. There was no designation conflict with the Fw 190C, since all work on that version had been abandoned by this time owing to chronic turbosupercharger problems.
The first Ta 152H prototypes were completed in the summer of 1944.
Several Fw 190C airframes were used in the project. The first Ta 152H-0 service test aircraft rolled off the assembly lines in October-November 1944. The Ta 152H-0s had no fuel tanks in their wings. They were joined a month later by the first production Ta 152H-1 aircraft, which had fuel tanks in the wings. The Ta 152H-1 was armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds and two 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wings with 175 rpg. 330 pounds of armor were carried for the protection of the engine and the pilot. Most production machines were delivered to Ta 152H-1/R11 bad-weather fighter standards. A MW 50 boost tank was fitted in the inboard port wing tank for use in enhancing low-altitude performance, with the GM 1 high-altitude boost tank aft of the cockpit being standard.
