Me.263 vs Ju.248
Just a brief insight, as I understand it, as to how this aircraft became to be known as the Ju 248 as well as the Me 263.
Having demonstrated with the Me.163B Komets "V6" "V18" that the twin chambered motor was a workable design, the new interceptor was pushed forward. As Messerschmitt were fully committed with the production of the Me 262 the RLM passed the work to Junkers under Professor Heinrich Hertel.
The Technical Department of the RLM were pushing for the completion of the project, so there was a limit to the alterations which could be undertaken.
One of the most distinctive features of the new Junkers design was to install a pressurised cabin, cut down the aft fuselage decking and retain the high visibility teardrop canopy for all round vision. The fuselage was now built in three sections, the forward unit carrying the pressurised cabin, pilot armour and retractable, nosewheel for the tricycle undercarriage.
The centre section carried the fuel tanks, armament and main wheel wells, with the aft section was removeable for servicing the engine and combustion chambers. Walterwerke had taken the lessons learned from the HWK 109-509.B and had produced the final version of their twin chambered design, the HWK 109-509.C.
Hertel's reworking led to Junkers redesignating the new aircraft as the Junkers Ju.248.
As the aircraft neared the start of production the RLM decided that the production type number revert to Messerschmitt's and so the new type was known as the Messerschmitt Me.263, maintaining its lineage from the Messerschmitt stable.
Mel