it was not smart

[fly boy]

now from what i know the 262 was desined as a fighter but Hitler thought that stoping allied bombers with a jet was for losers and told them to put bombs on it. i honistly think that was a bad idea.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

So did Hitler actually say that attacking bombers with a jet was for "Losers"?

 

[fly boy]

well more of defeatists or something like that

 

[wilbur1]

Get in fast shoot leave fast

 

[Thorlifter]

i honistly think that was a bad idea.

Me too.

 

[fly boy]

yea all the 262 would have to do is fly about 1000ft above the bombers dive shoot all their rockets and fly back to base hopefull that the escort didn't follow them to base and that it it so easy

 

[wilbur1]

Well they could do that but i think they might stop at winchells first for a donut and coffee

 

[Konigstiger205]

Well its not something new that Hitler was probably the allies best general

 

[SoD Stitch]

So did Hitler actually say that attacking bombers with a jet was for "Losers"?

ROFL!

 

[Velius]

Also, I think hitler liked the idea of a fast bomber to give it a role suitable for the Blitzkreig tactics that served him well in the earlier stages of the war. Rather than expanding on these newer revolutionary aircraft, he insisted that all existing aircraft models be improved and altred in several ways to get an "ideal variant" due of their successful operational history at the break of the war.

As far as the 262 goes, there was a variant with a 50mm cannon in the nose. I wonder how effective it would've been against those bombers?
Variants: Me 262A-1a/U4

 

[Thorlifter]

If memory serves (which it probably doesn't ) the 50mm cannon was shown to be so prone to jamming that it was basically worthless. Plus the strain it put on the airframe was incredible. Or am I thinking of another big cannon they mounted to an airframe.

Heck, I can't remember. Someone help!!!!!!

 

[Njaco]

That was later before all the fun stuff. Actually it was the engines that gave the program problems and lengthened the time it got to service.

Hitler just added icing to the cake with his obsession with dive bombers and saw a potential to keep the Allies off the beaches when the attack came by using the 262 as a bomber. He actually ordered that every few 262s produced would be a fighter. But the engines, the engines......

 

[Thorlifter]

I do remember that the actual combat life of the Jumo engines was only 12 hours!!!! Incredible.

 

[Njaco]

I think 10 - 12. Still freaking limited!

 

[SoD Stitch]

I think 10 - 12. Still freaking limited!

Yeah, with an MTBF of around 25 hours.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

That's so short!

Would they burn out?

 

[Njaco]

Somewhat. From Dr. Price:

"The Me 262 was suffering severe problems with its engines however. the Jumo 004 was the key to the new fighter's sparkling performance, but it was also the first turbojet engine in the world to enter large-scale production. It ran at much higher temperatures and greater rotational speeds than any previous aircraft engine, and a host of fundemental problems had to be solved during its design. Moreover, the usual ingredients of high-temperature-resistant alloys, nickel and chromium were in critically short supply in Germany and could not be used. Variuos substitutes were employed. The engine's combustion chambers, for exmple, were manufactured from ordinary steel with a spray coating of aluminum baked on in an oven to increase their ability to withstand high temperatures. Such palliatives, though in many cases clever, were only partially successful and the average running life of early production engines was little more than about 10 hours...."

Unchartered waters they were in for sure. Hitler had his hand in fouling it up but it wasn't all his fault.

 

[magnocain]

What is that, like one mission per uber expensive engine?

 

[mad_max]

In the right hands about 10 sorties.

 

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Yeah, with an MTBF of around 25 hours.

Nearly as good (or bad - depending on your point of view!) as the early Napier Sabres and R-R Vultures! And I don't recall the R-3350 have the best of reputations for longevity in their early days either.

There is a train of thought that says "what is the point in having equipment with a huge design life in a conflict?" It is likely to be lost to enemy action long before its design life is approached. This was the thinking behind the introduction of the Mk 5 Hispano cannon (among many other projects). The Mk 2 had a massive design life and was produced to meet that ie it was over engineered and therefore time-consuming and expensive to produce. Experience showed that the Mk 2s were lost long before this figure was reached and the Mk 5 was 'dumbed down' to last just long enough and cost a fraction to mass produce. What you need is kit that is genuinely 'fit for purpose' and lasts long enough. Of course the accountants don't see that way, especially in peacetime!