The Akaflieg Berlin B9 was an experimental dive bomber, which was designed and tested in 1943. This aircraft had a unique feature; the cockpit, in which the pilot lay in the prone position instead of be sitting like in ordinary plane a pilot did. With pilot's legs stretched out backwards and his head looking down and forward, it was a special design to enable the pilot to overcome the G forces. Today, he is fitted with a G-suit, which is inflated through a pump so that the blood does not flow away from his head, and avoid him getting fainted.
Akaflieg Berlin was a non-profit student research group, which was absorbed and controlled by the Luftwaffe when Adolf Hitler rose to power. In this radical design, the pilot had excellent visibility around him, being able to perfectly look at the ground below him and at the space in front of him, because the aircraft fuselage had a glass nose and canopy. The pilot had a chin rest, so that he did not strain his neck muscles as well as arm rests. He used his feet to control the rudder and brake of the aircraft. The control panels, with the speed and fuel gauges, were set up behind him, on both sides and he checked it through two rear view mirrors.
The Akaflieg Berlin B9 fuselage was made up of trapezoidal steel air frame, which was covered by hardened plywood and canvas. It was fitted with straight wings, which were mounted low on the fuselage. The aircraft was powered by two piston engines, delivering 110 HP each. Its maximum speed was 170 miles per hour. The project was abandoned because it was not practical as there were better and more powerful conventional planes that played the role of dive bombers. It was better and more practical to build more Junkers Ju 87 aircraft than to invest more money and time in a strange plane.
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