Skoda-Kauba Sk P.14

The Skoda‑Kauba Sk P.14 was a revolutionary German experimental fighter project developed in the final months of World II by the Czechoslovak‑German firm Škoda‑Kauba. Designed by Otto Kauba, the aircraft was intended to test a novel twin‑boom layout with a central cockpit and a single, powerful BMW 801 radial engine driving a pusher propeller. The unusual configuration placed the propeller behind the wing, reducing aerodynamic interference and improving forward visibility for the pilot. The Sk P.14 featured a wooden‑metal hybrid airframe, retractable landing gear, and provisions for heavy armament such as two 20 mm MG 151 cannons. Although only a wooden mock‑up and a limited number of components were completed before the war ended, the design embodied Kauba’s vision of a high‑speed, low‑drag interceptor capable of operating from short fields. Its significance lies in its influence on post‑war aeronautical studies, foreshadowing later pusher‑propeller concepts and the development of twin‑boom fighters such as the later Swedish SAAB 35 Draken. The Sk P.14 remains a rare example of late‑war German ingenuity and an important footnote in the evolution of unconventional fighter layouts. Today, aviation historians study the Sk P.14 as a testament to bold design experimentation.

Škoda-Kauba

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