Messerschmitt Me 262
Me 262 Schwalbe | |
---|---|
Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a late production model | |
Role | Fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber |
Manufacturer | Messerschmitt |
First flight |
|
Introduction | April 1944[2][3] |
Retired |
|
Primary users | Luftwaffe Czechoslovak Air Force (S-92) |
Number built | 1,430 |
Developed into | Messerschmitt P.1099 |
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft.
The design of what would become the Me 262 started in April 1939, before
One of the most advanced WWII combat aircraft,[6] the Me 262 operated as a light bomber, reconnaissance, and experimental night fighter. The Me 262 proved an effective dogfighter against Allied fighters; German pilots claimed 542 Allied aircraft were shot down,[7] although higher claims have sometimes been made.[Note 1] The aircraft had reliability problems because of
Although German use of the Me 262 ended with World War II, the Czechoslovak Air Force operated a small number until 1951. Also, Israel may have used between two and eight Me 262s. These were supposedly built by Avia and supplied covertly, and there has been no official confirmations of their use.[Note 2] The aircraft heavily influenced several prototype designs, such as the
Design and development
Origins
Several years before World War II, the Germans saw the potential for aircraft powered by the jet engine constructed by Hans von Ohain in 1936.[13][14] After the successful test flights of the world's first jet aircraft—the Heinkel He 178—within a week of the invasion of Poland which started the conflict, they adopted the jet engine for an advanced fighter aircraft. As a result, the Me 262 was already under development as Projekt 1065 (or P.1065) before the start of the war. The project had originated with a request by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, Ministry of Aviation) for a jet aircraft capable of one hour's endurance and a speed of at least 850 km/h (530 mph; 460 kn).[15][16] Woldemar Voigt headed the design team, with Messerschmitt's chief of development, Robert Lusser, overseeing.[15][17]
During April 1939, initial plans were drawn up and, following their submission in June 1939, the original design was very different from the aircraft that eventually entered service. Specifically, it featured wing-root-mounted engines,[15] rather than podded ones.[15] The progression of the original design was delayed greatly by technical problems with the new jet engine. Originally designed with straight wings, problems arose when the long delayed engines proved heavier than originally promised. While waiting for the engines, Messerschmitt moved the engines from the wing roots to underwing pods, allowing them to be changed more readily if needed. That turned out to be important, both for availability and maintenance.[18][19]
When it became apparent that the BMW 003 jets would be significantly heavier than anticipated, on the first of March 1940, it was decided that instead of moving the wing backward on its mount, the outer wing would be swept slightly rearwards to 18.5 degrees, to accommodate the change in the centre of gravity[18] and to position the centre of lift properly relative to the centre of mass. (The original 35° sweep, proposed by Adolf Busemann, was not adopted.)[20]
Initially the inboard leading edge retained the straight profile as did the trailing edge of the midsection of the wing.[21]
Based on data from the AVA Göttingen and wind tunnel results, the inboard section's leading edge (between the nacelle and wing root) was later swept to the same angle as the outer panels, from the "V6" sixth prototype onward throughout volume production.[22]
The shallow leading edge sweep of 18.5° may have inadvertently provided an advantage by slightly increasing the critical Mach number[23] however, its Tactical (useable) Mach number remained a relatively modest at Mach 0.82 and both German and British test pilots found that it suffered severe controllability issues as it approached Mach 0.86.[24][25]
The jet engine program was waylaid by a lack of funding, which was primarily due to a prevailing attitude amongst high-ranking officials that the conflict could be won easily with conventional aircraft.
Ludwig Bölkow was the principal aerodynamicist assigned to work on the design of the Me 262. He initially designed the wing using NACA airfoils modified with an elliptical nose section.[30] Later in the design process, these were changed to AVL derivatives of NACA airfoils, the NACA 00011-0.825-35 being used at the root and the NACA 00009-1.1-40 at the tip[31].The elliptical nose derivatives of the NACA airfoils were used on the horizontal and vertical tail surfaces. Wings were of single-spar cantilever construction, with stressed skins, varying from 3 mm (0.12 in) skin thickness at the root to 1 mm (0.039 in) at the tip.[32] To expedite construction, save weight, and use fewer strategic materials late in the war, the wing interiors were not painted.[33] The wings were fastened to the fuselage at four points, using a pair of 20 mm (0.79 in) and forty-two 8 mm (0.31 in) bolts.[33]
During mid-1943,
Test flights
Test flights began on 18 April 1941, with the Me 262 V1 example, bearing its Stammkennzeichen radio code letters of PC+UA, but since its intended BMW 003 turbojets were not ready for fitting, a conventional Junkers Jumo 210 engine was mounted in the V1 prototype's nose, driving a propeller, to test the Me 262 V1 airframe.[40][41] When the BMW 003 engines were installed, the Jumo was retained for safety, which proved wise as both 003s failed during the first flight and the pilot had to land using the nose-mounted engine alone.[1] The V1 through V4 prototype airframes all possessed what would become an uncharacteristic feature for most later jet aircraft designs, a fully retracting conventional gear setup with a retracting tailwheel—indeed, the very first prospective German "jet fighter" airframe design ever flown, the Heinkel He 280, used a retractable tricycle landing gear from its beginnings and flying on jet power alone as early as the end of March 1941.[citation needed]
The V3 third prototype
On the second attempt, Wendel solved the problem by tapping the aircraft's brakes at takeoff speed, lifting the horizontal tail out of the wing's turbulence.
Test flights continued over the next year, but engine problems continued to plague the project, the Jumo 004 being only marginally more reliable than the lower-thrust (7.83 kN/1,760 lbf) BMW 003. Early engines were so short-lived that they frequently needed replacement after only a single flight.[48] Airframe modifications were complete by 1942 but, hampered by the lack of engines, serial production did not begin until 1944, and deliveries were low, with 28 Me 262s in June, 59 in July, but only 20 in August.[49][page needed]
By mid-1943, the Jumo 004A engine had passed several 100-hour tests, with a time between overhauls of 50 hours being achieved.[50] However, the Jumo 004A engine proved unsuitable for full-scale production because of its considerable weight and its high utilization of strategic materials (nickel, cobalt, molybdenum), which were in short supply. Consequently, the 004B engine was designed to use a minimum amount of strategic materials. All high heat-resistant metal parts, including the combustion chamber, were changed to mild steel (SAE 1010) and were protected only against oxidation by aluminum coating. The engine represented a design compromise to minimize the use of strategic materials and to simplify manufacture.[50] With the lower-quality steels used in the 004B, the engine required overhaul after just 25 hours for a metallurgical test on the turbine. If it passed the test, the engine was refitted for a further 10 hours of usage, but 35 hours marked the absolute limit for the turbine wheel.[51] Frank Whittle concludes in his final assessment over the two engines: "it was in the quality of high temperature materials that the difference between German and British engines was most marked"[52]
Operationally, carrying 2,000 litres (440 imperial gallons; 530 US gallons) of fuel in two 900-litre (200-imperial-gallon; 240-US-gallon) tanks, one each fore and aft of the cockpit; and a 200-litre (44-imperial-gallon; 53-US-gallon) ventral fuselage tank beneath,
Unit cost for an Me 262 airframe, less engines, armament, and electronics, was 87,400 ℛ︁ℳ︁.[54][Note 5] To build one airframe took around 6,400-man-hours.[54]
Operational history
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Introduction
On 19 April 1944,
Major Walter Nowotny was assigned as commander after the death of Thierfelder in July 1944, and the unit redesignated Kommando Nowotny. Essentially a trials and development unit, it mounted the world's first jet fighter operations. Trials progressed at a slow pace; it was not until August 1944 that initial operational missions were flown against the Allies; the unit made claims for 19 Allied aircraft in exchange for six Me 262s lost.[64][65] Despite orders to stay grounded, Nowotny chose to fly a mission against an enemy bomber formation flying some 9,100 m (30,000 ft) above, on 8 November 1944. He claimed two P-51Ds destroyed before suffering engine failure at high altitude.[66] Then, while diving and trying to restart his engines, he was attacked by other Mustangs, forced to bail out, and died. The Kommando was then withdrawn for further flight training and a revision of combat tactics to optimise the Me 262's strengths.[67]
On 26 November 1944, a Me 262A-2a Sturmvogel of III.Gruppe/
By January 1945, Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7) had been formed as a pure jet fighter wing, partly based at Parchim,[69] although it was several weeks before it was operational. In the meantime, a bomber unit—I Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG(J) 54)—redesignated as such on 1 October 1944[70] through being re-equipped with, and trained to use the Me 262A-2a fighter-bomber for use in a ground-attack role. However, the unit lost 12 jets in action in two weeks for minimal returns.[citation needed] Jagdverband 44 (JV 44) was another Me 262 fighter unit, of squadron (Staffel) size given the low numbers of available personnel, formed in February 1945 by Lieutenant General Adolf Galland, who had recently been dismissed as Inspector of Fighters. Galland was able to draw into the unit many of the most experienced and decorated Luftwaffe fighter pilots from other units grounded by lack of fuel.[71][72]
During March, Me 262 fighter units were able, for the first time, to mount large-scale attacks on Allied bomber formations. On 18 March 1945, thirty-seven Me 262s of JG 7 intercepted a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters. They shot down 12 bombers and one fighter for the loss of three Me 262s. Although a 4:1 ratio was exactly what the Luftwaffe would have needed to make an impact on the war, the absolute scale of their success was minor, as it represented only 1% of the attacking force.[citation needed]
In the last days of the conflict, Me 262s from JG 7 and other units were committed in ground assault missions, in an attempt to support German troops fighting Red Army forces. Just south of Berlin, halfway between Spremberg and the German capital, the Wehrmacht's 9th Army (with elements from the 12 Army and 4th Panzer Army) was assaulting the Red Army's 1st Ukrainian Front. To support this attack, on 24 April, JG 7 dispatched thirty-one Me 262s on a strafing mission in the Cottbus-Bautzen area. Luftwaffe pilots claimed six lorries and seven Soviet aircraft, but three German jets were lost. On the evening of 27 April, thirty-six Me 262s from JG 7, III.KG(J)6 and KJ(J)54 were sent against Soviet forces that were attacking German troops in the forests north-east of Baruth. They succeeded in strafing 65 Soviet lorries, after which the Me 262s intercepted low flying Il-2 Sturmoviks searching for German tanks. The jet pilots claimed six Sturmoviks for the loss of three Messerschmitts. During operations between 28 April and 1 May Soviet fighters and ground fire downed at least ten more Me 262s from JG 7.[73]
However, JG 7 managed to keep its jets operational until the end of the war. And on 8 May, at around 4:00 p.m. Oblt. Fritz Stehle of 2./JG 7, while flying a Me 262 on the
Several two-seat
Despite its deficiencies, the Me 262 clearly marked the beginning of the end of piston-engined aircraft as effective fighting machines. Once airborne, it could accelerate to speeds over 850 km/h (530 mph), about 150 km/h (93 mph) faster than any Allied fighter operational in the European Theater of Operations.[77]
The Me 262's top
Anti-bomber tactics
The Me 262 was so fast that German pilots needed new tactics to attack Allied bombers. In a head-on attack, the combined closing speed of about 320 m/s (720 mph) was too high for accurate shooting with the relatively slow firing 30mm MK 108 cannon - at about 650 rounds/min this gave around 44 rounds per second from all four guns. Even from astern, the closing speed was too great to use the short-ranged cannon to maximum effect. A roller-coaster attack was devised, the Me 262s approached from astern and about 1,800 m higher (5,900 ft) than the bombers. From about five km (3.1 mi) behind, they went into a shallow dive that took them through the escort fighters with little risk of interception. When they were about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) astern and 450 m (1,480 ft) below the bombers, they pulled up sharply to reduce speed. On levelling off, they were one km (1,100 yd) astern and overtaking the bombers at about 150 km/h (90 mph) relative speed, well placed to attack them.[80]
Since the short barrels of the MK 108 cannon and low muzzle velocity - 540 m/s (1,800 ft/s) - rendered it inaccurate beyond 600 m (660 yd), coupled with the jet's velocity, which required breaking off at 200 m (220 yd) to avoid colliding with the target, Me 262 pilots normally commenced firing at 500 m (550 yd).[81] Gunners of Allied bomber aircraft found their electrically powered gun turrets had problems tracking the jets. Aiming was difficult because the jets closed into firing range quickly and remained in firing position only briefly, using their standard attack profile, which proved more effective.[82][clarification needed][verification needed]
A prominent Royal Navy test pilot, Captain Eric Brown, chief naval test pilot and commanding officer of the Captured Enemy Aircraft Flight Royal Aircraft Establishment, who tested the Me 262 noted that:
This was a
dive brakes. For example, if you want to fight and destroy a B-17, you come in on a dive. The 30mm cannon were not so accurate beyond 600 metres [660 yd; 2,000 ft]. So you normally came in at 600 yards [550 m; 1,800 ft] and would open fire on your B-17. And your closing speed was still high and since you had to break away at 200 metres [220 yd; 660 ft] to avoid a collision, you only had two seconds firing time. Now, in two seconds, you can't sight. You can fire randomly and hope for the best. If you want to sight and fire, you need to double that time to four seconds. And with dive brakes, you could have done that.[81]
Eventually, German pilots developed new tactics to counter Allied bombers. Me 262s, equipped with up to 24 unguided folding-fin
Though this broadside-attack tactic was effective, it came too late to have a real effect on the war and only small numbers of Me 262s were equipped with the rocket packs; most were Me 262A-1a models, of
Counter-jet tactics
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The Me 262 was difficult to counter because its high speed and rate of climb made it hard to intercept. However, as with other turbojet engines at the time, the Me 262's engines did not provide sufficient thrust at low airspeeds and throttle response was slow, so that in certain circumstances such as takeoff and landing the aircraft became a vulnerable target. Another disadvantage that pioneering jet aircraft of the World War II era shared, was the high risk of compressor stall and if throttle movements were too rapid, the engine(s) could suffer a flameout. The coarse opening of the throttle would cause fuel surging and lead to excessive jet pipe temperatures. Pilots were instructed to operate the throttle gently and avoid quick changes. German engineers introduced an automatic throttle regulator later in the war but it only partly alleviated the problem.[citation needed]
The plane had, by contemporary standards, a high wing loading (294.0 kg/m2, 60.2 lbs/ft2) that required higher takeoff and landing speeds. Due to poor throttle response, the engines' tendency for airflow disruption that could cause the compressor to stall was ubiquitous. The high speed of the Me 262 also presented problems when engaging enemy aircraft, the high-speed convergence allowing Me 262 pilots little time to line up their targets or acquire the appropriate amount of
I passed one that looked as if it was hanging motionless in the air (I am too fast!). The one above me went into a steep right-hand turn, his pale blue underside standing out against the purple sky. Another banked right in front of the Me's nose. Violent jolt as I flew through his airscrew eddies. Maybe a wing's length away. That one in the gentle left-hand curve! Swing her round. I was coming from underneath, eye glued to the sight (pull her tighter!). A throbbing in the wings as my cannon pounded briefly. Missed him. Way behind his tail. It was exasperating. I would never be able to shoot one down like this. They were like a sack of fleas. A prick of doubt: is this really such a good fighter? Could one in fact, successfully attack a group of erratically banking fighters with the Me 262?
—fighter ace[86]
Luftwaffe pilots eventually learned how to handle the Me 262's higher speed and the Me 262 soon proved a formidable air superiority fighter, with pilots such as Franz Schall managing to shoot down seventeen enemy fighters in the Me 262, ten of them American
Pilots soon learned that the Me 262 was quite maneuverable despite its high wing loading and lack of low-speed thrust, especially if attention was drawn to its effective maneuvering speeds. The controls were light and effective right up to the maximum permissible speed and perfectly harmonised. The inclusion of full span automatic
Too fast to catch for the escorting Allied fighters, the Me 262s were almost impossible to head off.[Note 8] As a result, Me 262 pilots were relatively safe from the Allied fighters, as long as they did not allow themselves to get drawn into low-speed turning contests and saved their maneuvering for higher speeds. Combating the Allied fighters could be effectively done the same way as the U.S. fighters fought the more nimble, but slower, Japanese fighters in the Pacific.[citation needed]
Allied pilots soon found that the only reliable way to destroy the jets, as with the even faster
Lt.
The British
High-speed research
Adolf Busemann had proposed swept wings as early as 1935; Messerschmitt researched the topic from 1940. In April 1941, Busemann proposed fitting a 35° swept wing (Pfeilflügel II, literally "arrow wing II") to the Me 262,[106] the same wing-sweep angle later used on both the North American F-86 Sabre and Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter jets. Though this was not implemented, he continued with the projected HG II and HG III (Hochgeschwindigkeit, "high-speed") derivatives in 1944, designed with a 35° and 45° wing sweep, respectively.[107]
Interest in high-speed flight, which led him to initiate work on swept wings starting in 1940, is evident from the advanced developments Messerschmitt had on his drawing board in 1944. While the Me 262 V9 Hochgeschwindigkeit I (HG I) flight-tested in 1944 had only small changes compared to combat aircraft, most notably a low-profile canopy—tried as the Rennkabine (literally "racing cabin") on the ninth Me 262 prototype for a short time—to reduce drag, the HG II and HG III designs were far more radical. The projected HG II combined the low-drag canopy with a 35° wing sweep and a V-tail (butterfly tail). The HG III had a conventional tail, but a 45° wing sweep and turbines embedded in the wing roots.[108]
Messerschmitt also conducted a series of flight tests with the series production Me 262. Dive tests determined that the Me 262 went out of control in a dive at
Messerschmitt believed the HG series of Me 262 derivatives was capable of reaching transonic Mach numbers in level flight, with the top speed of the HG III being projected as Mach 0.96 at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) altitude.[110] After the war, the Royal Aircraft Establishment, at that time one of the leading institutions in high-speed research, re-tested the Me 262 to help with British attempts at exceeding Mach 1. The RAE achieved speeds of up to Mach 0.84 and confirmed the results from the Messerschmitt dive-tests. The Soviets ran similar tests.[citation needed]
After Willy Messerschmitt's death in 1978, the former Me 262 pilot
Production
About 1,400 planes were produced, however, less than a hundred Me 262s were in a combat-ready condition at any one time.[115] According to sources they destroyed from 300 to 450 enemy planes, with the Allies destroying about one hundred Me 262s in the air.[94] While Germany was bombed intensively, production of the Me 262 was dispersed into low-profile production facilities, sometimes little more than clearings in the forests of Germany and occupied countries. From the end of February to the end of March 1945, approximately sixty Me 262s were destroyed in attacks on Obertraubling and thirty at Leipheim;[116] the Neuburg jet plant itself was bombed on 19 March 1945.[117]
Large, heavily protected underground factories were constructed – as with the partly-buried
Postwar history
After the end of the war, the Me 262 and other advanced German technologies were quickly swept up by the Soviets, British and Americans, as part of the USAAF's
During testing, the Me 262 was found to be faster than the British Gloster Meteor jet fighter, and had better visibility to the sides and rear (mostly due to the canopy frames and the discoloration caused by the plastics used in the Meteor's construction), and was a superior gun platform to the Meteor F.1 which had a tendency to snake at high speed and exhibited "weak" aileron response.[123] The Me 262 had a shorter range than the Meteor and had less reliable engines.[124]
Captain Eric Brown, a British test pilot who flew 487 types of planes during his service, flew a captured Me 262 (as well as other German Second World War jets) after the end of the war. He referred to the Me 262 as "the most formidable aircraft of WW2." He noted that it had a number of innovatory features, but in terms of performance, was a quantum jump ahead of other planes at the time. In particular he noted its swept back wings, its axial flow jet engine, and the four powerful 30mm cannons. He stated that it was significantly faster than the fastest Spitfire (at the time) and with that speed "you could conduct combat totally on your own terms. If you didn't want to engage, you could go off and leave everyone standing."[125]
The USAAF compared the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star and Me 262, concluding that the Me 262 was superior in acceleration and speed, with similar climb performance. The Me 262 appeared to have a higher critical Mach number than any American fighter.[126]
The Americans also tested a Me 262A-1a/U3 unarmed photo reconnaissance version, which was fitted with a fighter nose and a smooth finish. Between May and August 1946, the aircraft completed eight flights, lasting four hours and forty minutes. Testing was discontinued after four engine changes were required during the course of the tests, culminating in two single-engine landings.
The Czechoslovak aircraft industry continued to produce single-seat (Avia S-92) and two-seat (Avia CS-92) variants of the Me 262 after World War II. From August 1946, a total of nine S-92s and three two-seater CS-92s were completed and test flown. They were introduced in 1947 and in 1950 were supplied to the 5th Fighter Squadron, becoming the first jet fighters to serve in the
Flyable reproductions
In January 2003, the American Me 262 Project, based in Everett, Washington, completed flight testing to allow the delivery of partially updated spec reproductions of several versions of the Me 262 including at least two B-1c two-seater variants, one A-1c single-seater and two "convertibles" that could be switched between the A-1c and B-1c configurations. All are powered by General Electric CJ610 engines and feature additional safety features, such as upgraded brakes and strengthened landing gear. The "c" suffix refers to the new CJ610 powerplant and has been informally assigned with the approval of the Messerschmitt Foundation in Germany[131] (the Werknummer of the reproductions picked up where the last wartime produced Me 262 left off – a continuous airframe serial number run with a near 60-year production break).
Flight testing of the first newly manufactured Me 262 A-1c (single-seat) variant (Werknummer 501244) was completed in August 2005. The first of these machines (Werknummer 501241) went to a private owner in the southwestern United States, while the second (Werknummer 501244) was delivered to the Messerschmitt Foundation at Manching, Germany. This aircraft conducted a private test flight in late April 2006 and made its public debut in May at the
Variants
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2015) |
Note:- U = Umrüst-Bausatz – conversion kit installed at factory level, denoted as a suffix in the form /Un.[135]
- Me 262 A-0
- Pre-production aircraft fitted with two Jumo 004Bturbojet engines, 23 built.
- Me 262 A-1a "Schwalbe"
- Primary production version, usable as both fighter (interceptor) and fighter-bomber.[40]
- Me 262 A-1a/U1
- Single prototype with a total of six nose mounted guns, two 20 mm (0.787 in)
- Me 262 A-1a/U2
- Single prototype with radar transceiver and Hirschgeweih (stag's antlers) antenna array, for trials as a night-fighter.[40]
- Me 262 A-1a/U3
- Reconnaissance version modified in small numbers, with Rb 20/30[136] cameras mounted in the nose or alternatively one Rb 20/20[136] and one Rb 75/30[136] (Rb – Reihenbildner – series-picture, topographic camera). Some retained one 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon, but most were unarmed.
- Me 262 A-1a/U4
- Bomber destroyer version, two prototypes with an adapted 50 mm (1.969 in) BK 5 (test ordnance only) anti-tank gun in the nose.[40]
- Me 262 A-1a/U5
- Heavy jet fighter with six 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon in the nose.[40]
- Me 262 A-1b
- Trio of A-1a evaluation versions, starting with Werknummer 170 078, re-engined with two BMW 003A turbojets in place of the Jumo 004s, maximum speed 800 km/h (500 mph; 430 kn).[137]
- Me 262 A-2a "Sturmvogel"
- Definitive bomber version retaining only the two lower 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon.[40]
- Me 262 A-2a/U1
- Single prototype with advanced bombsight.
- Me 262 A-2a/U2
- Two prototypes with glazed nose for accommodating a bombardier.[40]
- Me 262 A-3a
- Proposed ground-attack version.
- Me 262 A-4a
- Reconnaissance version.
- Me 262 A-5a
- Definitive reconnaissance version used in small numbers at end of the war.[40]
- Me 262 B-1a
- Two-seat trainer.[40]
- Me 262 B-1a/U1
- Me 262 B-1a trainers converted into provisional night fighters, FuG 218 Neptun radar, with Hirschgeweih (eng:antler) eight-dipole antenna array.[citation needed]
- Me 262 B-2
- Proposed night fighter version with stretched fuselage.
- Me 262C
- Proposed development prototypes in four differing designs, meant to augment or replace the Jumo 004 jets with liquid-fueled rocket propulsion, as the "Home Protector" (Heimatschützer) series.
- Me 262 C-1a
- Single prototype [made from Me 262A Werknummer 130 186] of rocket-boosted interceptor (Heimatschützer I) with Walter HWK 109-509 liquid-fuelled rocket in the tail, first flown with combined jet/rocket power on 27 February 1945.[138]
- Me 262 C-2b
- Single prototype [made from Me 262A Werknummer 170 074] of rocket-boosted interceptor (Heimatschützer II) with two BMW 003R "combined" powerplants (BMW 003 turbojet, with a single 9.8 kN (2,200 lbf) thrust BMW 109-718 liquid-fuelled rocket engine mounted atop the rear of each jet exhaust) for boosted thrust, only flown once with combined jet/rocket power on 26 March 1945.[139]
- Me 262 C-3
- Heimatschützer III – proposed version with Jumo 004 turbojet engines replaced with Walter HWK RII-211 Liquid-fuelled rocket engines.[140]
- Me 262 C-3a
- Heimatschützer IV - a rocket-boosted interceptor with a Walter HWK 109-509S-2 rocket motor housed in a permanent belly pack. Prototypes and initial production aircraft were captured before completion.[141]
- Me 262 D-1
- Proposed variant to carry Jagdfaust mortars.
- Me 262 E-1
- Proposed variant based on A-1a/U4 with a 50 mm (1.969 in) MK 114 cannon.[142]
- Me 262 E-2
- Proposed rocket-armed variant carrying up to 48 × R4M rockets.
- Me 262 HG-I
- "High Speed" variant, modified A-1a with new "racing" style cockpit and additional pieces were added to wing roots at the front.[143][144][145]
- Me 262 HG-II
- Second "High Speed" variant, more heavily modified A-1a with "racing" style cockpit and wings swept at 35-degree angle and engine nacelles were moved closer to fuselage. A new butterfly V-shaped tail was tested but was too unstable in wind tunnel tests, so normal tail was kept.[143][144][145]
- Me 262 HG-III
- Proposed Third "High Speed" variant, only progressed to wind tunnel model stage. This was the last and the pinnacle of the Me 262 aerodynamical possibility, which would have been built from the ground up as a new Me 262 instead of modifying older ones. In the Me 262 HG-III, its wings were swept at 45 degrees, it also had the "racing" style cockpit, but the largest change was the moving of the engine nacelles right into the fuselage side and changing the engines to the more powerful Heinkel HeS 011 engines.[143][144][145]
- Me 262 S
- Zero-series model for Me 262 A-1a
- Me 262 W-1
- Provisional designation for Me 262 with 2x 2.7 kN (610 lbf) pulse jet engines
- Me 262 W-3
- Provisional designation for Me 262 with 2x 4.90 kN (1,102 lbf) "square-intake" pulse jet engines
- Me 262 Lorin
- Provisional designation for Me 262 with 2x Lorin ramjet booster engines in "over-wing" mounts, one above each of the Jumo turbojet nacelles.
Rüstsätze (field modification kits)
Rüstsatze may be applied to various sub-types of their respective aircraft type, denoted as a suffix in the form /Rn. Data from: Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe[135][146]
- /R1: Underfuselage pylon for 500 L (110.0 imp gal; 132.1 US gal) external fuel tank.
- /R2: Ratog installation for two Rheinmetall 109-502 solid rocket engines.
- /R3: BMW 003R rocket boosted turbojet installation.
- /R4: Installation of the FuG 350 Zc Naxosradar warning receiver / detector.
- /R5: The standard 4x 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108cannon installation.
- /R6: Jabo (JagdBomber) equipment, such as bombsights and bomb racks.
- /R7: Underwing installation of 12x R4M rockets carried on wooden racks.
- /R8: R110BS Air to air rocket installation.
- /R9: Ruhrstahl Ru 344 X-4air-to-air missile installation.
Postwar variants
- Avia S-92
- Czech-built Me 262 A-1a (fighter)[147]
- Avia CS-92
- Czech-built Me 262 B-1a (fighter trainer, two seats)
Reproductions
A series of reproductions was constructed by American company Legend Flyers (later Me 262 Project) of Everett, Washington.[148] The Jumo 004 engines of the original are replaced by more reliable General Electric CJ610 engines. The first Me 262 reproduction (a two-seater) took off for the first time in December 2002 and the second one in August 2005. This one was delivered to the Messerschmitt Foundation and was presented at the ILA airshow in 2006.[149]
- A-1c: American privately built, based on A-1a configuration.
- B-1c: American privately built, based on B-1a configuration.
- A/B-1c: American privately built, convertible between A-1c and B-1c configuration.
Operators
- Luftwaffe
- Czechoslovak Air Force (postwar, nine S-92 and three CS-92)
Surviving aircraft
- Me 262 A-1a/R7, W.Nr.500071 White 3, III./JG 7
- Munich, Germany. This aircraft, flown by Hans Guido Mutke while a pilot of 9. Staffel/JG 7, was confiscated by Swiss authorities on 25 April 1945 after Mutke made an emergency landing in Switzerland due to lack of fuel (80 litres were remaining, 35 litres were usually burnt in one minute).[151]
- Me 262 A-1a
- Reconstructed from parts of crashed and incomplete Me 262s. Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, Germany.
- Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.501232 Yellow 5, 3./KG(J)6
- National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, US.
- Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr.500453
- Flying Heritage Collection, Everett, Washington, United States, currently undergoing restoration to flying condition. It is intended to fly using its original Jumo 004 engines.[152] The aircraft was bought from the Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, California.
- Me 262 A-1a/R7 W.Nr.500491 Yellow 7, II./JG 7
- National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States. Possesses twin original underwing racks for 24 R4M unguided rockets. Flown by Oberfeldwebel Heinz Arnold[153]
- Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.112372
- .
- Me 262 A-2a W.Nr.500200 Black X 9K+XK, 2 Staffel./KG 51
- Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia. Built at Regensburg in March 1945, same batch from which the Deutsches Museum White 3 was built. Flown by Fahnenjunker Oberfeldwebel Fröhlich and surrendered at Fassberg. It remains the only Me 262 left in existence wearing original (albeit worn, as seen in the picture) colours. Its markings show both the Unit signatures along with the Air Ministry colours applied at Farnborough, where it was allocated reference Air Min 81. Restoration was completed in 1985 and the aircraft was put up on display.[154] The Australian War Memorial's website states that the aircraft "is the only Me 262 bomber variant to survive, and is the only remaining Me 262 wearing its original paint".[155]
- Me 262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr.110305 Red 8
- South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Me 262 B-1a, W.Nr.110639 White 35
- NAS/JRB Willow Grove, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, US)
- Avia S-92
- Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Avia CS-92
- Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic.
Specifications (Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a)
Data from Quest for Performance.[23] Original Messerschmitt documents[156]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 10.6 m (34 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 12.6 m (41 ft 4 in)
- Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 21.7 m2 (234 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 7.32
- Empty weight: 3,795 kg (8,367 lb) [157]
- Gross weight: 6,473 kg (14,271 lb) [157]
- Max takeoff weight: 7,130 kg (15,719 lb) [157]
- Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 004B-1 axial-flow turbojetengines, 8.8 kN (1,980 lbf) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 900 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn)
- Range: 1,050 km (650 mi, 570 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 11,450 m (37,570 ft)
- Rate of climb: 20 m/s (3,900 ft/min) at max weight of 7,130 kg (15,720 lb)
- Wing loading: 300 kg/m2 (61 lb/sq ft)
- Thrust/weight: 0.28
Armament
- Guns: 4 × 30 mm MK 108 cannon (the A-2a had only two cannons)
- Rockets: 24 × 55 mm (2.2 in) R4M rockets
- Bombs: 2 × 250 kg (550 lb) bombs or 2 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs (A-2a variant)
Notable appearances in media
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Bell P-59 Airacomet
- Gloster Meteor
- Heinkel He 280
- Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
- Messerschmitt P.1099
- Nakajima Ki-201
- Nakajima Kikka
- Sukhoi Su-9 (1946)
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Morgan and Weal estimate that jet fighters of all types produced 745 victories.[8]
- postwar era. [12]
- ^ The nosewheel was a 66 cm × 16 cm (26.0 in × 6.3 in) item identical to the Bf 109F's main gear wheel, fitted with a Buna rubber tire and pneumatic drum brake.[47]
- ^ According to Stapfer, the smaller fuel tank had a capacity of up to 237.75 US gallons (197.97 imperial gallons; 900.0 litres).[53]
- ^ By comparison, a new Volkswagen Type 1 was priced at RM990.[55]
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe jet aces, see List of German World War II jet aces
- ^ The leading edge slats, manufactured by Arwa Strumpfwerke of Auerbach, were divided into three unconnected sections on each wing and each was fastened to the wing by two hinges.[87] The slats lowered the stalling speed of the aircraft to roughly 160 to 170 km/h (86 to 92 kn; 99 to 106 mph) depending on load out. They deployed automatically below 300 km/h (160 kn; 190 mph) on takeoff or landing and at 450 km/h (240 kn; 280 mph) in turn or climb.[88]
- ^ According to aviation historian Mike Spick, it could take eight Mustangs to neutralize a single Me 262, by continually cutting across the circle inside it. Against multiple jet attackers, an effective defense was simply impossible.[91]
- ^ Other aircraft based there included Bf 109 and Fw 190-day fighters and Bf 110 and He 219 night fighters. The base was closer to the town of Hopsten than the city of Rheine and is no longer active.
- ^ As well as the flak guns, several piston engine fighter units based in the area were tasked to cover the jets as they landed.
Citations
- ^ a b Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 23.
- ^ Price 2007, pp. 36–37.
- ^ a b Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 49.
- ^ a b Balous, Rajlich & Velek 1995, p. 53.
- ^ Gunston 1988, p. 240.
- ^ a b Boyne 1994, p. 325.
- ^ Green 1970, pp. 634–638.
- ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 78.
- ^ Kitchen 2015, pp. 213, 243.
- ^ Gunston 1984, p. 163.
- ^ Heath 2022, p. 210.
- ^ Norton 2004, p. [page needed].
- ^ Bauduin 2014, p. 66.
- ^ Davies 1980, p. 572.
- ^ a b c d e Christopher 2013, p. 59.
- ^ LePage 2009, p. 183.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 54.
- ^ a b Christopher 2013, p. 60.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 61.
- ^ Christopher 2013, p. 48.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 18.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b c Loftin 2004.
- ^ Brown 2006, p. [page needed].
- ^ "A Pilot's Story DVD QUANTA productions
- ^ a b Boyne 1994, pp. 58–61.
- ^ Heath 2022, p. 217.
- ^ LePage 2009, p. 219.
- ^ a b Christopher 2013, p. 61.
- ^ Bölkow 1989, pp. 225–287.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". UIUC Airfoil Data Site. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, p. 30.
- ^ a b Stapfer 2006, p. 34.
- ^ LePage 2009, p. 9.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 49.
- ^ a b "Stormbirds History". Stormbirds.com. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ Roberts 2009, pp. 586, 446, 595.
- ^ Galland 1954, chptr. 28.
- ^ Speer 1997, p. 363.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ford 2013, p. 224.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 28.
- ^ Warsitz 2009, p. 143.
- ^ Dorr 2013, pp. 9, 55.
- ^ LePage 2009, p. 179.
- ^ a b Boyne 2008, p. 60.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 10.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, p. 21.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 70.
- ^ Boyne 1994.
- ^ a b Meher-Homji 1997, p. 785.
- ^ CIOS XXIV-6. "Gas Turbine Development: BMW-Junkers-Daimler-Benz." London, 1946. p. 24.
- ^ Whittle 1953, pp. 92–93.
- ^ a b c Stapfer 2006, p. 16.
- ^ a b Stapfer 2006, p. 26.
- ^ Gilmore 1992, pp. 36–40.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, p. 2.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 119.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Kindy, David. "The Day Germany's First Jet Fighter Soared Into History". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 223.
- ^ Kindy, David (13 July 2021). "The Day Germany's First Jet Fighter Soared into History". Smithsonian.
- ^ "Incident de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk XVI MM273,". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Accident de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk XVI MM273,". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Flight Lieutenant D L MATTHEWMAN (101013), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) [Royal Air Force WW2 Details]". RAFCommands. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Smith 1971, p. 103.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 120.
- ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Heath 2022, pp. 218–220.
- ^ Oliver 2002, pp. 111–112.
- ^ "Schwerin-Parchim Flughafen – Pläne" (in German). Schweriner Volkszeitung. 23 June 2015.
- ^ de Zeng, Stankey & Creek 2007, p. 183.
- ^ Miller 2007, p. 449.
- ^ Heath 2022, p. 253.
- ^ Bergstrom 2008, p. 123.
- ^ Bergstrom 2008, pp. 123–124.
- ^ "Luftwaffe Resource Center – Fighters/Destroyers – A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ Hecht 1990, p. [page needed].
- ^ "Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe (Swallow)". National Air and Space Museum. 22 April 2016. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ Miller 1997, p. 30.
- ^ Isby 2016, p. [page needed].
- ^ Spick 1983, p. 112.
- ^ a b Thompson & Smith 2008, p. 233.
- ^ Hutchinson 2018, p. [page needed].
- ^ Brown 2006, p. 101.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, pp. 33–35.
- ^ Samuel 2004, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Spick 1983, pp. 112–113.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, pp. 31, 36.
- ^ Stapfer 2006, pp. 32, 36.
- ^ "Theories of Flight devices". centennialofflight.net. 2003. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ Summary of debriefing of Me-262 test pilot and flight instructor Hans Fey.
- ^ Spick 1997, p. 165.
- ^ Forsyth 1996, pp. 149, 194.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 142.
- ^ a b Levine 1992, pp. 158, 185.
- ^ Heath 2022, p. 254.
- ^ Dorr 2013, pp. 218–226.
- ^ Niderost, Eric (21 June 2017). "Chuck Yeager: Fighter Pilot". Warfare History Network. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ "Encounter Report". 6 November 1944. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
- ^ Scutts 1994, p. 58.
- ^ Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, p. 12.
- ^ "Hawker Tempest". hawkertempest.se. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ Clostermann 1953, p. 181.
- ^ "Die Geschichte des Fliegerhorstes". etnp.de. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "The "Westfalen-Wing" in Rheine-Hopsten Air Base". etnep.de. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ Thomas & Shores 1988, p. 129.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 75.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, pp. 75, 79. Note: Willy Messerschmitt July 1943..
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 79.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 231.
- ^ Carruthers 2013, p. [page needed].
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996.
- ^ Flying Review, 1960s, date unknown
- ^ de Bie, Rob. "Me 163B Komet – Me 163 Production – Me 163B: Werknummern list". robdebie.home. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Me 163". walterwerke.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 214.
- ^ Englander 1945.
- ^ Blue.
- ^ Haunschmied, Mills & Witzany-Durda 2008, p. 127.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 48.
- ^ "Gusen". www.ushmm.org. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (8 February 2007). "Dark skies". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ Bauduin 2014, pp. 1–14.
- ^ Ethell & Price 1994, pp. 97–99.
- OCLC 660567188.
- ^ The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown, retrieved 29 December 2022
- ^ Ethell & Price 1994, p. 180.
- ^ Butler 1994, p. [page needed].
- ^ LePage 2009, p. 246.
- ^ Dorr 2013, p. 236.
- ^ Blair 1980, p. [page needed].
- ^ "Aircraft Profiles: Configuration data". Me 262 Project. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ Jim1410. "Me 262 Flys Again!". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 – via YouTube.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Messerschmitt Me 262 Flight Program". Collingsfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ Bailey 2010.
- ^ a b Parsch, Andreas. "German Military Aircraft Designations (1933–1945)". www.designation-systems.net. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ a b c "Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Camera Systems". www.airrecce.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ Smith & Creek 1982, pp. 143–144, 146–147.
- ^ Reddin, Shamus (27 April 2009). "Me.262 Heimatschützer I. The Walter 109-509.S1 Assisted Take-Off Unit". Walter Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Video of BMW 718 rocket engine test firing on this aircraft". German Jet Power. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Baker 1997, p. [page needed].
- ^ Reddin, Shamus (27 April 2009). "Me.262 Heimatschützer IV. The Walter 109-509.S2 Assisted Take-Off Unit". Walter Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Green 2016, p. [page needed].
- ^ a b c Luftwaffe Secret Projects Fighters 1939–1945 by Walter Schick, Ingolf Meyer, Elke Weal, John Weal
- ^ a b c Radinger & Schick 2004, p. [page needed].
- ^ a b c Schick & Meyer 1997, p. 85.
- ^ Peçzkowski 2002, p. 24.
- ^ "Avia-S 92 photo and technical data". tanks45.tripod.com. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ^ "Introduction: Returning the World's First Fighting Jet to the Skies". Me 262 Project. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Stormbirds". Me 262 Project. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Inv.-No.: 73736". Deutsches Museum. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Deutsches Museum: Messerschmitt Me 262". www.deutsches-museum.de. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "The Flying Heritage Collection". Internet Modeler. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 35, 94.
- ^ Butler 1994, p. 94.
- ^ "Messerschmitt Me 262-A2 Fighter Aircraft: KG51 Luftwaffe". Collection. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ Radinger & Schick 1996, p. 110 based on original Messerschmitt data.
- ^ a b c ME-262 A-1 Pilot's Handbook, T2 Airforce Material Command, Wright Field Dayton Ohio
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Further reading
- Angelucci, Enzo; Matricardi, Paolo (1978). World Aircraft: World War II, Volume I (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low. ISBN 978-0-528-88170-1.
- Bekker, Cajun (1994). The Luftwaffe War Diaries: The German Air Force in World War II. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-03-068060-4-9.
- Ethell, Jeffrey; Price, Alfred (1979). The German Jets in Combat. London: Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0-354-01252-5.
- Foreman, John; Harvey, S.E (1990). The Messerschmitt Me 262 Combat Diary. Surrey, UK: Air Research Publications. ISBN 1-871187-30-3.
- Jenkins, Dennis R.; Landis, Tony R. (2008). Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-111-6.
- Kudlicka, Bohumir (January–February 2005). "Into the Future: Czech-Built Me 252s". ISSN 0143-5450.
- Marchand, Alain (December 1972). "Les Messerschmitt 262 de Brétigny, en 1946, les pilots français découvraiment l'avion à reaction (1)" [The Messerschmitt 262s of Brétigny: French Pilots Discover Jet Aircraft in 1946]. Le Album de Fanatique de l'Aviation (in French) (39): 25–27. ISSN 0757-4169.
- Price, Alfred (1993). The Last Year of the Luftwaffe: May 1944 to May 1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-440-2.