Yet more notes for an old thread.
I recently had access to and read a piece of Messerschmitt publicity materiel about the P.141 transport aircraft from the early 1960’s. Here are the main points specified. The document was in English so all measurements are imperial units:
Messerschmitt Me P.141 Configuration and Performance Study
The Me P 141, a rugged economical cargo or passenger aircraft for countries with underdeveloped highway and railroad networks.
The experience gathered in building and flying World War II’s Me 323 transporter, noted for its extreme simple-design features, has gone into designing the Me P 141.
This makes the Me P 141 a highly advantageous offer, both with regard to sales price and maintenance and operational costs.
Maintenance and repair may be accomplished with the simplest of means by personnel without special training.
No special equipment is required for fast loading and unloading directly from ground or truck.
On account of these features the Me P 141 is ideally suited for countries with underdeveloped highway and railroad networks, where ruggedness and uncomplicated construction is more valuable than speed.
Description
The Me P 141 is a braced high-wing monoplane. Light-metal is used for stressed members and glass-fiber reinforced plastics for secondary components.
The aircraft is designed to be equipped with two turboprop engines of approximately 1,000 hp each, e.g. Turbomeca Bastan, General Electric T 58 or Daimler-Benz PTL 6.
The fuselage has a rounded-off rectangular cross section and offers an uninterrupted cargo compartment with flat floor from forward to aft.
In view of the aircraft’s operational altitude a pressurized fuselage is not required.
Forward and rear clam-shell doors provide for simultaneous loading and unloading at both ends. The cargo compartment has the same cross section over its entire length. The hold floor is at truck level.
The elevated cockpit accommodates four persons and offers excellent vision.
Some especially notable features of simplified design:
Fixed nose and main landing gear.
All flight controls mechanically operated; no hydraulic system.
Same airfoil section and chord of wing and empennage.
Fuel in wings; external tanks for extended range.
Simple-design wing flaps.
Configuration capabilities
Passenger aircraft capacity up to 35 passenger (depending on range).
Combination passenger and cargo aircraft.
Cargo aircraft, capacity up to 7,750 lbs (depending on range).
Technical Data
Span: 72 ft
Length: 46 ft 9 in
Height: 14 ft 9 in
Wing Area: 473 sq ft
Wing Loading: 36.2 lbs/sq ft
Power Loading: 8.73 lbs/HP
Maximum cruising speed at sea level: 205 knots
Maximum cruising speed at 10,000 ft: 211 knots
Maximum cruising speed at 20,000 ft: 208 knots
Rate of climb at sea level (2 engines): 1,910 ft/min
Rate of climb at sea level (1 engine): 550 ft/min
Service ceiling (2 engines): 30,000 ft
Service ceiling (1 engine): 11,500 ft
Take-off run on grass strip: 1,575 ft
Take-off distance to clear 50 ft: 2,360 ft
Landing run: 1,080 ft
Landing distance from 50 ft: 2,430 ft
Weights: Cargo Configuration / Passenger Configuration
Crew and passengers: 2:0 / 2:33
Airframe: 4,700 lbs / 4,700 lbs
Powerplant: 1,945 lbs / 1,945 lbs
Equipment: 783 lbs / 1,945 lbs
Empty weight: 7,420 lbs / 8,580 lbs
Crew: 364 lbs / 364 lbs
Payload plus fuel: 9,420 lbs / 17,200 lbs
Take-off weight (normal): 17,200 lbs / 17,200 lbs
Source: Messerschmitt Me P.141 Configuration and Performance Study (Messerschmitt Doc Ref 141/63/1)