Best Jet Fighter of WWII?

[Edgar Brooks]

[The knowledge about metallurgy in Germany was at least equal to the knowledge in Britain.

We know that now, 70 years on, but the Air Ministry didn't in 1944/5, hence the desire for secrecy.

IMO the statement of the Air Ministry was only for propaganda reason.

The Air Ministry didn't make a statement; it's included in inter-department correspondence, in classified files, which were only opened to view around 1975.

 

[cimmex]

I wonder how they explained the order not to fly over German held territory to the pilots…
cimmex

 

[yulzari]

They simply told them that they did not want a Meteor to fall into German hands. The RAF already knew that the MkIII was not a Me262 beater but the object of the Flight was to gain experience in operating Meteors ready for a more general use of later models when production began in numbers. The MkI and III were still essentially pre production forms and it was the MkIV in 1947 that was the first real Meteor service fighter.

Remember, when looking at British late 1940s development, that the UK was bankrupt. The civilian food ration actually declined after the war ended. Lend lease US equipment was returned or destroyed and had to be replaced. Into the 1950s food, fuel and strategic materials were still being rationed. I took advantage of the end of sugar rationing to be born late in 1953. It is still beyond me to understand why and how they made 4 different 'V' bombers!

 

[cimmex]

I learnt that at school too: GB suffered longer to the effect of WWII than Germany which had the Marshall Plan to help the economy.
cimmex

 

[pattern14]

I always considered the Mk1 and Mk 111 Meteors "production" models, as they were used operationally, much the same as the Me 262 1a was a production model. I'm happy to be wrong, but the 262 was rushed into service before it was fully sorted, due to the deteriorating situation, and conventional piston engined Luftwaffe fighters were being overwhelmed. There was no need to "perfect" the Meteor in 1944/45 as the war was being won with existing aircraft. It is almost identical to the German mindset of 1939/40when the Me 262 was placed on the backburner, as Blitzkrieg was achieving stunning victories with Bf 109's and Stuka's. There was no need for advanced aircraft as the job was being done with what they had. Another angle on this "best jet fighter" theme is the Heinkel He 280, which was flying on pure jet power while the Me 262 protoypes were barely getting airborne with a prop in the nose. Tricycle undercarriage, ejector seat, 3 20mm cannons in the nose, and performance capabilities superior to the Fw 190 in 1943! Nothing came of it of course, but it does deserve a mention in this thread.

 

[stona]

I wonder how they explained the order not to fly over German held territory to the pilots…
cimmex

We are talking about the RAF and during a war. You don't explain orders, you give them. The pilots followed them. If they were ordered not to fly past a certain point then they didn't. Orders are orders, not a point of debate, and you learn quite early not to question them.
Cheers
Steve

 

[cimmex]

That's true, long time ago I spent my duty in the German Army (Bundeswehr) but to avoid discussion among the solders there was also an "official" version.
cimmex

 

[FLYBOYJ]

BTW it is nearly impossible to copy an alloy you have found somewhere; you can find out which metals are combined but not the treatment during the manufacturing process. cimmex

NOT TRUE - A spectro-metal analyzer can break down the chemical composition and alloying elements of most if not all metals and this technology was around during WW2. Once you figure out the type of metal and alloys contained in a sample, you then could determine heat treatment by Rockwell or Birnell testing or other destructive tests providing you have samples large enough to support that testing.