Blohm & Voss BV 138

Common card · No. 266437

The Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon) was a trimotor flying boat designed and built by the German aircraft manufacturer Blohm & Voss. It served as the Luftwaffe's primary seaborne long-range maritime patrol and naval reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. The BV 138 was a pre-war design by Dr Richard Vogt, originally developed under the company name of Hamburger Flugzeugbau, and thus it was initially designated Ha 138 instead. It had an uncommon appearance due to its combination of unusual design features, such as its twin boom tail unit, short hull, and trimotor engine configuration. In reference to the side-view shape of its fuselage, the aircraft was often referred to via the nickname Der Fliegende Holzschuh ("Flying Clog"). Originally designed to be powered using two engines, the trimotor configuration was adopted prior to flight testing due to engine difficulties. Development would be protracted due to multiple redesigns being enacted...

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