BV 222 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #194

Welcome to Warbird Wednesday! Today, we are looking at the Blohm & Voss BV 222, a German flying boat designed in 1938, with a 150-foot wingspan, making it the largest German flying boat of World War II. Despite being a military aircraft, the BV 222 initially flew under civilian registration and livery. It first flew in 1940 with radial engines but later switched to diesel engines for extended sea refueling capabilities. The aircraft could carry 92 passengers or 72 stretcher-borne patients, distinguishing it from American flying boats like the Clipper. Only 13 BV 222s were built, and at the end of the war, most were destroyed. An intact example lies in deep water, deemed too challenging to salvage.