Me-262

[plan_D]

Maybe that's because the Meteor engines were better?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i realise that, but it wasn't long between the E.28/39 and the advent of the meteor, it didn't give them long to deign a new engine...................

 

[plan_D]

Amazing things happen in Wars. A British Truck Company (I'll find the name) designed an engine for a tank in 18 days, and the engine was 10 times the power of anything they had designed before.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Look at how quickly North American put out the design for the NA 73 - the eventual P-51. Something like 120 days.

 

[plan_D]

As I said, amazing things happen in war.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

Something like 120 days.

117 days............

 

[Lightning Guy]

So I was right.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yes

 

[plan_D]

That was a quick agreement, maybe a record.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

at the risk of sounding like myself, yes.

 

[brad]

yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

[cheddar cheese]

yesh comrade 8)

 

[Erich]

had the Luftwaffe had the Me 262A-1a with adequate fuel supplies in 1942 and no faulty engines they would of most probably been ready for the US heavy bomber raids to follow over the Reich. The outcome would of been hard to determine.

 

[Lightning Guy]

If the Luftwaffe had the 262 in 1942 they would have run over everybody, no question. If it could have been available in numbers (with fuel to fly and compotent pilots) in '44 is the situation were it becomes hard to deteremine, IMO.

 

[plan_D]

Having the Me-262 in 1942 would have caused major problems, but it wouldn't have been. Asking it without faulty engines, and enough fuel is asking a lot.
Being ready in 1944 I don't believe it could have done. It wouldn't have stopped D-Day (As the Germans didn't even know it was happening in Normandy) and the only real threat it would have caused would have been at the Bulge. Even then P-51s were still able to effectively dogfight with these things.

 

[Erich]

this still goes back to the mighty what-if. The Luftwaffe had the Me 262 in combat in the summer of 1944 taking on P-38's, Mossies and Spitfires. Granted only on singular missions before Kommando Nowotny really started to be a viable outfit.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Most of the kills over the 262 were scored directly over its airfields though. The speed advantage the 262 had in the air gave it a certain level of immunity.

 

[Erich]

early in the conflict of 44 and also towards wars end. yes the defensive program the Luftwaffe initiated for it's airfields was wanting. the 262 turning radius was terrible and P-51 pilots were able to figure this out and close in for the kill.

 

[Lightning Guy]

I didn't think the solution of using 109s and 190s to cover the airfields was that great either. It seems to be that just took away fighters that could have otherwise been intercepting the bombers.

 

[Erich]

I think as the Luftwaffe was down to it's last dying hope was that speed and a heavy armament could win the day: "super weapons"

JV 44 had the Fw 190D's and Kommando Nowotny were protected, well sort of by III./JG 54 Dora's which were simply wiped out of the sky by P-51's. that is it. JG 7's airfields had plenty of 2cm Flakvierlings but still was not enough to protect their Me 262's upon landing and taking off. also the bomber units had 2cm weapons and the same results happened on the edges of the fields.............down goes another 262 on fire.........

~E ♠