Best Jet of WW2? (1 Viewer)

[delcyros]

In general, I think it is problematic to suggest operating a smaller rocket driven plane by other planes. In the case of the Me-163 I would consider such a try very silly. It was designed to provide interception abilities at short range (Objektschutz). That would be difficult in another plane (they would need to patrol at high altitude with it´s load), a waste of fuel. There were, however, plans for such a use (Parasitjäger) with small fighters and Arado 234 C as well as other planes. The upward firing 30mm projectiles are the mentioned SG-500 Jagdfaust. They would have made a better equippment than MK 108, agreed.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I was not implying that it should be controled from other aircraft. What I am saying is that it would be brought to alltitude by tohter aircraft. Either carried under a bomber like the US did with its rocket planes or in the manner that the mistel was was carried by Fw-190's or Me-109's just using a larger plane like a Ju-88 to carry it up. A Ju-88 would probably not have the power to get one up there. But as RG said if you could do that it would save fuel and let it stay up longer.

 

[delcyros]

But wouldn´t a take off by another plane reduce it´s fantastic climb abilities? Imagine: Radar detects incoming bombers (T- 40 minutes), planes will be made ready (T-25 minutes), take off (T-20 minutes), climbing to release altitude (T+10 minutes), seperation and service of the Me-163 as interceptor. The only way I can see an advantage would be in the statistics. The tactics would probably tell a different story. However, it is worth to think about it. I always wondered, how they want to use the DFS 346 experimantal plane.

 

[Anonymous]

Certainly the planes carrying the rocket interceptors would have to take off early, probably before dawn, and climb to their staging areas and wait, well to the east, to be vectored toward incomming bomber formations.

The real issue is how high could such a carrier plane fly and how long could it cruise while waiting?

=S=

Lunatic

 

[delcyros]

I doubt that Luftwaffe could provide enough fuel in late 1944 to field such operations in larger numbers. A He-177 could only carry one, a Ju-390 probably two but fuel consumption for such a mission would be terrible in late 1944.

 

[Anonymous]

To make it work a dedicated carrier plane would have needed to be built. But, low grade fuel could be used as there is no requirement for speed.

=S=

Lunatic

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

But wouldn´t a take off by another plane reduce it´s fantastic climb abilities? Imagine: Radar detects incoming bombers (T- 40 minutes), planes will be made ready (T-25 minutes), take off (T-20 minutes), climbing to release altitude (T+10 minutes), seperation and service of the Me-163 as interceptor. The only way I can see an advantage would be in the statistics. The tactics would probably tell a different story. However, it is worth to think about it. I always wondered, how they want to use the DFS 346 experimantal plane.

Who cares about climb abilities? What would have mattered is what the aircraft would have been able to do with more time in the air.

 

[KraziKanuK]

[
Who cares about climb abilities? What would have mattered is what the aircraft would have been able to do with more time in the air.

Even the prop jobs did not have that much air time. Usually it was climb, find the bombers, make a pass and rtb.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well that's all you need..........

 

[delcyros]

Time would be still limited, even if the Me-163 was droped in 8000 m altitude. I see no way how it could reach 10 minutes of powered flight under any circumstances. And even that is too low. That makes such a try very questionable.

 

[Anonymous]

I disagree. Without the need to climb a rocket engine capable of sustaining 500 mph level flight above 20,000 feet would have been much much smaller. 10-15 minutes should have been possible. 10 minutes is enough time to travel over 40 miles and engage the enemy bombers.

=S=

Lunatic

 

[Gnomey]

ME-262, a good jet powered fighter-bomber

 

[delcyros]

Okey, lets say it has an engine a little smaller, no HWK 509 A-1 (1700 kp thrust) but a HWK RII 203 (750 kp thrust, same fitted in Me-163 A). A normal equipped Me-163 B needs an average of 3 minutes and 19 seconds for a climb to 32000 ft. You could enlenghten it´s max flight time by dropping it in 20000 ft. altitude by a few minutes (max. flight time: 9 minutes and 40 seconds powered flight at 600 km/h if towed to 4000 m altitude in case of a RII 203 driven Me-163 AV-prototype). 10 minutes are possible . The Me-163 C should have a max flight time of 14 minutes (at 600 Km/h) or 19 minutes at 514 km/h. At full speed they only have around 8 minutes of powerd flight time. Max range is still 120 Km (around 75 miles) for Me-163 B and 130 Km (around 80 miles) for Me-163 C (dropped in altitude). I do not have datas for the Me-263 but it should be around the same, probably a little better. That is still too less for succesful interceptor operations. It only has one path to fire it´s MK-108, even a second is debatable. It needs a good tactician to lead the plane, it is even getting more complicated if more planes are operated in that way. And they have to return, so they cannot spent all fuel on the attack if they want to disappear safely. The carrier planes would surely soon be lost by some kind of fighter sweep or anything else. The soviets tried the same back in 1941 with an obsolete TB-3 bomber with two I-16 under the wings. Because of the losses they had to move on for I-16 bomber raids (instead of interceptions), making the hole procedure very questionable.

 

[Anonymous]

The fuel burned in that 3 minutes and 20 second climb to 32,000 feet would last more than 10 minutes in level flight.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

ME-262, a good jet powered fighter-bomber

Great aircraft, very advanced and probably the best to have seen combat in WW2, but only for about 10 flight hours.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Im with Ar-234 8)

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Im with Ar-234 8)

I love the 234 but she was unfortunatly not used very well.

 

[Erich]

the Ar 234 very much preferable in the bomber role than the 262. the 262 was a bomber killer nothing short. On the other hand the 262 was a lethal ground attack jet fitted with R4M's.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The problem with the 234 is that they did not use it in its inteded role and used it pretty much for armed reconnaisanse and ground attack. It should have been built in large numbers and used as a bomber.

 

[Erich]

Adler there were more bomber units using the Ar 234 than recon and only in the spring of 45 was this reversed and in so the Reon units only had as much as 4-5 jets on hand per staffel although they were recognized as online in the field gruppen

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