Expirienced prototype Messerschmitt VJ 101C (or other variants) – german experimental vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) jet aircraft. Participants in the development program were Heinkel, Messerschmitt, and Bölkow (EWR concern). The program lasted from 1960 to 1968. The first flight took place on April 10, 1963. Two examples were built. The EWR VJ 101 was the first VTOL aircraft to exceed the speed of sound. In the spring of 1972, the improved experimental prototype Messerschmitt VJ 101C, also built in two copies, made its first flight.
Aircraft characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 15.7 m
Wingspan: 6.61 m
Height: 4.1 m
Maximum takeoff weight: 6,100 kg
Powerplant: 6×Rolls-Royce RB145 turbojet engines, each with a thrust of 12.2 kN
Maximum speed achieved: Mach 1.04
Possible armament:
Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM):
AIM-9B Sidewinder
AIM-9J/P Sidewinder (later variants, plausible for late 1960s integration)
Likely: 2 to 4 missiles
Guns:
1 × 27mm Mauser BK-27 (planned for production version)
Air-to-Ground Ordnance:
Bombs:
Mk 82 – 500 lb general-purpose bombs
Rockets:
FFAR – 70 mm (in LAU-3 pods)
Zuni – 127 mm rockets
Guided Munitions (speculative):
AGM-12 Bullpup (possible, if a multirole strike variant was pursued)
Hardpoint Capacity:
2 to 4 pylons
2 × underwing (main)
Possibly 2 × side fuselage or wingtip for missiles
NONE OF THE ARMAMENT MENTIONED ARE DOCUMENTED/PLANED, BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT ITSELF WAS EXPERIMENTAL AND IN THEORY A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR THE AIRCRAFT WE ALREADY HAVE IN GAME – the F-104G, THEREFORE THE ABOVE MENTIONED POSSIBLE ARMAMENT IS HYPOTHETICAL BASED ON F-104G