Hi egbert,
OK. Here it is.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1640
159. Flight testing of the BMW 003 A-0 turbojet had begun in 1943 using Ju 88 test-beds both at E-Stelle E-3 at Rechlin and at the BMW
TL-Erprobungsgruppe at BMW's facility at Berlin-Aldershot. In January 1944, BMW's turbojet testing was transferred to Oranienburg where it seems to have become integrated with the
Versuchsverbande der Ob.dL.. Of the Ju 88's known to have tested the BMW 003, DH+JX, TH+GE W.Nr. 3255, DG+FR W.Nr. 5077, DH+AG W.Nr. 7143, it was Ju 88 RG+RW W.Nr. 430827 [Horn, p. 302, gives W.Nr. 430857] that was first given the
kennzeichen T9+MH then T9+EL, according to a post in TOCH by Peter Achs on 19 Nov. 2009. This unit was headed by a civilian engineer,
Flugbaumeister Peter Kappus, who realized that Arado's Ar 234 Berta would be a better test-bed for the turbo.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1641
160. Two Berta prototypes were set aside as test-beds for the BMW 003, both using twin engines. The V15 (W.Nr. 130025; "PH+SW") was first flown by Janssen at Alt Lonnewitz on 20 July 1944, 17:34-17:51 hours. On 8 August, Janssen transferred it to Oranienburg where it was given the
kenn "T9+HL" and was mainly flown by
Hptm. Josef Bisping of
3./VV-OKL until November. In December, it was handed over to Kappus who flew it on 10 December 12:00-12:38 hours at Oranienburg. In January-February 1945, Kappus moved his
Sonderkommando from "O-Burg" to Burg bei Magdeburg transferring the V15 on 15 February 17:00-17:20 hours. With the bombing of Burg bei Magdeburg on April 10, the V15 was unserviceable and could not be evacuated. It was blown up there by German troops on 4 May 1945.
This is the only picture of V15 that I have found so far.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1642
161. The V17 (W.Nr. 130027; "PH+SY") was first flown by Janssen at Sagan-Küpper on 25 September 1944 17:16-17:30 hours. On 7 November,
St.Fw. Rudolf Seefeld of
1./VV-OKL transferred V17 from Sagan-Küpper to Oranienburg and it was coded "T9+LL". Kappus first flew V17 at "O-Burg" on 22 November 10:25-11:00 hrs.
Ordered to transfer his unit to Burg bei Magdeburg, on 30 January 1945, Kappus flew "T9+LL" there, 15:25-15:50 hours.
Probably due to overcrowding at Burg bei Magdeburg, Kappus was ordered to move what was now called
Erprobungstelle BMW to Neubiberg in Bavaria. On 7 April 1945, Kappus flew "T9+LL" from Burg to Lechfeld, 18:00-19:18 hours. On the 12th April, he completed the flight to Neubiberg, 18:25-1855 hours. On 1 May, as American forces approached Neubiberg, V17 was blown up by German personnel.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1643
162. From Smith & Creek,
Ar 234 Blitz, (Classic, 2022), p. 163, Peter Kappus is quoted as saying:
"Subsequently, I made a number of other test flights in Ar 234 V15 and V17, most of them aimed at investigating the flameout behaviour of the BMW 003 at Altitude, and a new Junkers control system that was supposed to enable us to burn the more readily available J2 heavy oil fuel instead of B4 white gasoline for which the engine was designed. J2 was a very heavy paraffin fuel of better availability. Starting was very difficult with J2 and we usually began with B4, carried in one of the two tanks in the Ar 234, and switched to J2 in flight, when the engine was hot ... ."