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Description
| Notes: C-130B modified for search and rescue missions. Formerly designated SC-130B (4 CREW) . | ||
| Manufacturer: | Bachem Werke | |
| Base model: | Ba 349 | |
| Designation: | Ba 349 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Natter | |
| Basic role: | Fighter (Germany) | |
| Crew: | 1 | |
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| The Air Museum "Planes of Fame" | Chino | California |
Ba 349B on display
The Air Museum "Planes of Fame" |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Gary Church , CA | I do not believe American pilots were ordered to shoot german pilots who had bailed out. 05/10/2006 @ 14:01 |
| Kris Hendrix , OTH | Yes, advantages were clear:
- no flight training necessary (perhaps a single glider flight) so not drawing on the limited amounts of well trained or experienced pilots. - cheap to build: steal and wood instead of rare materials. Rocket engine was also simple and light. (Just look at the numbers of V2 rockets built.) - rocket fuel was easy to produce ('booze and bleech'): methanol, water, hydrazine (from ammonia) and peroxide. - survivable: well armored and fast ensuring it to reach its target before possibly getting shot down. - could be placed on the outskirts of major cities or industrial complexes where they are easy to conceal. No need to use the obvious air fields. - Bachem developed a new installation system with simple poles that could be easily erected. - lethal: the R4M rockets were a massive success when used by JV 44 (Galland Expert unit) - re-usable (to a certain extent) Disadvantages: - production models would probably be of low quality resulting in a relatively high number of accidents during take-off or high speed flights. - apparently the Natter became unstable after jettisoning its 4 auxiliary engines because of a change in CG (centre of gravity). - the pilots would probably get killed after bailing out. USAAF fighter pilots were ordered to shoot at pilots after bailing out (which is logical since in 1945 Germany had more planes than experienced pilots). Of course these pilots would easily be replaced but it would still be better to have experienced Natter pilots, plus it's aweful for morale. - apparently the part of the Natter containing the valuable rocket engine which was also supposed to be rescued by parachute came down at at a speed which was too high to re-use the engine. No matter what they tried, landing speed was simply too high. Civettone 03/18/2006 @ 04:31 |
| Gary Church churchpi@yahoo.com , CA | It has been called a bad idea but I have always disagreed; It would have been a SAM with a pilot instead of a guidance system. Considering how many jets were shot down by soviet SAM's in Vietnam, it may have been a real bomber killer over WW2 Europe. Especially if it had been developed in 1939 when first proposed. The daylight bombing offensive years later may have taken far worse losses than it did and been halted. I think the thing to remember is the "pilot" would have required very little training except to point the aircraft at a bomber formation and fire the rockets when in range. 01/21/2006 @ 18:01 |
| george lucas gnl@rochester.rr.com Nunda, NY | The Chino Bachem Natter is a replica airplane made in Nunda,NY.by George Lucas. There is only one real Natter and that is in storage at NASM Washington.DC. 02/21/2002 @ 16:03 |
