Blohm & Voss BV 142

The Blohm & Voss Ha 142 was a four-engined long-distance monoplane designed and built by the German aircraft manufacturer Blohm & Voss. It was developed as a land-based derivative of the Ha 139 seaplane during the late 1930s; considerable attention was paid to the needs of the German flag carrier Luft Hansa, who sought such an aircraft to work its transatlantic airmail service. On 11 October 1938, the first of several prototypes made its maiden flight. It was evaluated by Luft Hansa, but no regular airmail services were ever operated by the Ha 142, a fact that can largely be attributed to the outbreak of the Second World War. In response to the conflict, two of the existing aircraft were converted for their use by the Luftwaffe, being outfitted with a new glazed nosecone and armed with multiple defensive machine guns and a modest bombing capacity. The Ha 142 participated in various theatres, including the invasion of Denmark, the Norwegian campaign, and Occupied France. It was largely used for maritime reconnaissance and transport duties. Allegedly, on account of their disappointing performance, both of the converted aircraft were withdrawn from service prior to 1942, while the fate of the two unconverted aircraft is not recorded.

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