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The desperate concept behind the Bachem Natter (Hummingbird) was
that young pilots with little or no training would be launched vertically
at US bomber formations and blow them apart with a powerful battery of
rockets. With no method of landing, the pilot would then bale out, he and
the rocket motor descending by parachute for further use (if either could be
found again). Several unmanned
launches were made and
reputedly five manned ones.
The first pilot was killed when
the canopy came off and struck
his head. The SS was more
enthusiastic about the idea than
the Luftwaffe and wanted 150
of the planned 200 Natters for
themselves. Only about 36 were
completed and 10 aircraft
actually readied for launch.
Fortunately for the pilots,
American tanks neared the
launch site and the aircraft were
destroyed.
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 1700kg Walter 109 rocket engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 2200 kg | 4850 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 3.60 m | 12 ft 10 in |
| Length | 6.10 m | 20 ft 0 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 800 km/h | 497 mph |
 | A three-view drawing (1677 x 1167) |
| Mark, Nope, 05.12.2011 Ta-183: You are obviously referring to the X-5 being copied from the Messerschmidt p.1110 rather than this horrific piece of junk. While the 1110 was a beautiful-looking aircraft, it was built out of parts from other aircraft and never flown. The X-5 was built from the ground up as a new aircraft using the 1110 as a baseline, and it not only flew but provided vast amounts of data which was used in US aircraft development for decades. | | Dan, truedelight2004=yahoo.com, 05.08.2011 I was just lucky enough to get to see a perfect replica of the Ba-349 at the Chino Hills California "Planes of Fame" museum. It is a full-scale high quality replica.They also have a Komet and a Volksjager there. | | Ralph Laino, laino1134=gmail.com, 05.04.2011 They have one in Polk City Florida at "Fantasy of Flight"
an aviation museum owned by collector Kermit Weeks. | | mike, bassman113=hotmail.com, 28.12.2010 The only pictures which I have seen this craft all bear a swastika. They weren't shy about saying "hell yeah this is our shit" | | Ta-183 Huckebein, 02.07.2010 The Natter was designed to launch R4M high-velocity rockets at B-29s and maybe even B-42s at the end of the war. Its funny that a marvelous plane like the Ba 349 was copied for the that sad excuse of a jet..... the X-5. | | Baron von Peter, peter.nik=abv.bg, 01.03.2008 Th rocket-fighter | | BRI'AN CHEN, NEIN, 23.02.2008 DANKE!Bachem Ba 349 BESTMANN! | | Cardinal Sin, 21.02.2008 Natters did not carry even the swastikas because they were considered as ammunition, not planes... | | G Davis, yudanshikai1=yahoo.com, 11.09.2007 It's not too had to figure out where the Allies got their aircraft designs after the war, for sure the Germans were well ahead of military Aircraft design when you see some of the aircraft that were on the drawing board! some of todays fighters look like some of the German designs of ww-2,It's just too bad they rarely get credit for it! | | Tim, pbthhh=hotmail.com, 08.08.2007 One correction-- "Natter" translates to "Viper", not "Hummingbird". |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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FACTS AND FIGURES© Erich Bachem had first proposed his rocket-powered interceptor in 1939, but received little official encouragement. © For the first unpowered flight, the Natter was carried to 5500m beneath an He 111. © Unmanned test launches were carried out with a dummy pilot in the cockpit. © The improved Ba 349B had a rocket motor of increased endurance, but only three were produced before VE Day. © In the combat zone the
streamlined nosecone would be
jettisoned and a battery of 24
unguided rockets exposed. After
they were fired, the entire nose
would be detached and the pilot
flung out by the deceleration from
the recovery parachute. © The Natter was constructed mainly
of wood, using a furniture hinge
for the canopy - which broke off
on the first manned flight. © The tail section containing
the valuable rocket motor
would descend by parachute
after use and be recovered
for another mission. © The Natter had four booster
rocket motors for its launch and
was on autopilot until it reached
combat altitude. The sustainer
rocket was good for 70 seconds of
full thrust, but could be varied in
power to give longer endurance.
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