Messerschmitt/Lippisch Li P 13

On 2 January 1939, Professor Alexander Lippisch and 16 members of his development staff joined the Messerschmitt corporation in Augsburg, Bavaria. There, they formed Abteilung L [Department L], whose most significant design would be the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket-powered high-speed interceptor. During their tenure at Messerschmitt, Lippisch and his team worked on a number of further aircraft concepts. Some of these concepts progressed to a relatively detailed design stage, such as the Messerschmitt Me 265 or the Messerschmitt Me 329. Others remained mere proposals, such as the Li P 13 fast bomber (not to be confused with the later Lippisch P 13 ramjet fighter project) presented here.

According to Alexander Lippisch and Fritz Trenkle 's book Ein Dreieck fliegt [A flying triangle], published in 1976, the drawing of the Li P 13 dates from 25 November 1942, and the work on this concept was conducted by Josef Hubert. The aircraft's twin engine push-pull layout resembles, to some extent, the Dornier Do 335, but the Li P 13 was to be a flying wing with a large vertical tail and a dorsal fin also containing the tail wheel. Hubert enviosioned the use of Daimler-Benz DB 605 B engines.

The drawing shows the Li P 13 to carry one pilot and to have a length of 9.4 meters, a height of 5.1 meters, and a span of 12.8 meters. The forward propeller was to have a diameter of 3 meters, the rear propeller a diameter of 2.9 meters. The aircraft was to have five fuel tanks, two each in the wings and one in the fuselage. (Drawing © by German Aviation 1919-1945 collection, 1992)