Blohm & Voss BV 142

The Blohm & Voss BV 142 was a German civil aircraft developed for the transatlantic air mail service, originally designed for the German national airline Lufthansa. The first prototype was flown on 11 October 1938.

Design
The aircraft had four engines mounted on a low inverted gull monoplane wing, high horizontal stabilizer, and a double vertical tail, based on the Blohm & Voss Ha 139 seaplane.

The wing center section was strengthened by a typical Blohm & Voss cross-girder, which consisted of a large-diameter pipe. This transverse tube (divided internally into 5 section) also acted as a fuel tank. The center wing was metal-covered, while the outer wings were fabric-covered. There were six hydraulically-operated flaps in the mid-wing. The fuselage was of metal and had an approximately circular cross-section.

Each main landing gear leg had dual wheels and was fully retractable, as was the tailwheel. The landing gear was hydraulically lowered and retracted.

Only four prototypes (V1 through V4) were built. These aircraft were tested by Lufthansa and used briefly in the postal service. However, the outbreak of World War II ended further development of the civilian project.

Operations
Soon after the start of World War II, it was proposed to convert all four prototype BV 142 to long-range maritime patrol aircraft. The BV 142 V2, thus underwent a trial modification. It was fitted with an extended nose section with extensive glazing (like the Heinkel He 111 H-6), defensive armament (7.92 mm/.312 in MG 15 machine gun in nose, twin-beam position, ventral cupola, and a powered dorsal turret), a compartment for ordnance in the fuselage, and navigation and military radio equipment. The BV 142 V2, was redesignated BV 142 V2/U1 while V1 was similarly converted. Both were used operationally from late 1940 and were posted to the Luftwaffe's second surveillance Group. This unit was assigned to the operations staff of Luftflotte III in France. However, their performance was disappointing, and after only a few missions, they were withdrawn from service in 1942. The two other aircraft (V3 and V4) were used as transport aircraft for the occupation of Denmark and in the Norway campaign with the KGr.z.b.V. 105 (Special combat team) and could transport 30 fully equipped soldiers over 4,000 km (2,490 mi). The ultimate fate of V3 and V4 is unknown. It was later planned to use V1 and V2 to carry the Henschel GT 1200C guided torpedo, but the plan was scrapped.