Blohm & Voss/Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 137

Designed as the first dive-bomber/ ground-attack machine for the Luftwaffe, the Blohm & Voss/ Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 137 may not deserve the word “beautiful,” but there is something about the plane that is attractive to most pilots. Maybe “purposeful” is a better word to describe it. The tapered wings have a heavy, inverted gull shape to them, which keeps the landing gear to a minimal length and, at the same time, gives a nearly 90-degree intercept angle with the fuselage.

The wings use an interesting concept: The main spar is a long chrome-plated steel box, and the inner portion of it is sealed and used as a gas tank.

The wheel pants were designed to each house a 7.92mm machine gun, and another two were mounted above the engine.

Initially, it was powered by a license-built Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine, which proved to limit visibility in a dive. For that reason, the last prototypes were powered by a forerunner to the Merlin: the RollsRoyce Kestrel V-12. A Junkers Jumo V-12 of 590hp was eventually fitted. Six were built.

A pretty airplane, in a utilitarian sort of way. Designed as the Luftwaffe’s first dive bomber, it lost the competition to the Ju 87 Stuka. It’s interesting that both airplanes had inverted gull wings. (Photo via Denes Bernard)