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VFW VAK 191B

525 Tw4g18  3.2 years ago

The VFW VAK 191B was an experimental German vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) strike fighter of the early 1970s. VAK was the abbreviation for Vertikalstartendes Aufklärungs- und Kampfflugzeug (Vertical Take-off Reconnaissance and Strike Aircraft). Designed and built by the Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW), it was developed with the purpose of eventually serving as a replacement for the Italian Fiat G.91 then in service with the German Air Force. Operationally, it was intended to have been armed with nuclear weapons as a deterrent against aggression from the Soviet Union and, in the event of a major war breaking out, to survive the first wave of attacks by deploying to dispersed locations, rather than conventional airfields, and to retaliate against targets behind enemy lines.

General Characteristics

  • Created On Windows
  • Wingspan 21.5ft (6.5m)
  • Length 33.5ft (10.2m)
  • Height 11.0ft (3.3m)
  • Empty Weight 6,057lbs (2,747kg)
  • Loaded Weight 8,374lbs (3,798kg)

Performance

  • Power/Weight Ratio 1.61
  • Wing Loading 43.9lbs/ft2 (214.4kg/m2)
  • Wing Area 190.7ft2 (17.7m2)
  • Drag Points 886

Parts

  • Number of Parts 68
  • Control Surfaces 5
  • Performance Cost 440