Heinkel Wespe

Heinkel

Industry	Aerospace
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Aircraft

Template:Infobox aircraftTemplate:No footnotes The Heinkel Wespe (Wasp in English) represented a conceptual design by the German manufacturer Heinkel for a Tail-sitter vertical takeoff and landing interceptor aircraft. Distinct from traditional designs, it lacked standard wings and instead incorporated a sizable rotor system. Although finalized in 1945, the project never advanced to flight testing due to material shortages at the conclusion of the Second World War. An associated development was the Heinkel Lerche.

Design

This aircraft was intended to be driven by a centrally mounted turboprop engine, featuring an unconventional circular wing configuration. Its compact frontal profile would have made it an effective platform for engaging enemy bombers. While it might have been envisioned for point defense roles, the engine development was never completed amid Germany’s wartime constraints, resulting in no prototypes being constructed.

See also

• Heinkel Lerche
• Focke-Wulf Triebflugel
• Lockheed XFV
• Convair XFY Pogo