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It didn’t look like it should be able to fly. Despite Blohm & Voss being a famed ship and seaplane builder during World War 2, it might be the creation of the BV 141 for which it is most remembered – despite only 20, in some form or another, having actually been built. The German airframe was easily distinguished by its unique structural asymmetry: a single engine on the main body of the aircraft, with a pod containing the pilot, an observer, and a rear gunner mounted on the starboard side. The BV 141 was initially intended to be a reconnaissance plane and sought to offer unparalleled visibility from the pod compared to other single-engine cockpits where clear sightlines were greatly restricted.

The Reichsluftfahrtministerium was reportedly aghast when the bizarre configuration was submitted as a proposal in a design contest, yet the plane won over a number of fans, most notably Luftwaffe Colonel-General Ernst Udet, after it satisfied nearly every mission requirement in testing. Hermann Göring, Luftwaffe Supreme Commander, remained unconvinced.

Competing against the BV 141 were the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu and Arado Ar 198. Even though the contest design requirements demanded a single-engine aircraft proposal, both submitted twin-engine designs. Chief Designer of the BV 141, Dr. Richard Vogt, refused to be moved, however, and pushed forward with his unusual prototype…

- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -