Need help identifying vane on Me 262

Richard T. Eger · Oct 2, 2011

Dear All,

After the war, the U.S. Navy test flew Me 262, W.Nr. 501232. Photos taken at the time of the testing and later show a vane about 4-1/2" tall with a small diameter horizontal cylinder atop it located to the right front of the windscreen on the fuselage. While the Navy claimed that they added nothing external to the aircraft for flight testing, I somewhat suspect that the vane and cylinder were indeed added to the aircraft for flight testing. One possibility is that the cylinder is a calibrated venturi used to determine the accuracy of the plane's pitot tube in measuring true air speed.

Is anyone an expert on instrumentation used by the Navy to help me settle this question? I can provide photos. Please respond by PM with your e-mail address. Alternatively, can anyone put me into contact with someone having expertise in this area?

Regards,
Richard

FLYBOYJ · Oct 4, 2011

razor1uk · Oct 27, 2011

Here are the pics; belatedly.... I havent treated, adjusted or altered these images I've hosted for the community and on Richards behalf with his approval.

Originaly sourced from somw PM's by Richard and myself - I took the liberty of slightly editing down the messages Rich, hope you don't mind.
Hi, truely I haven't seen this before on 262's.. I wonder if you know what its production machine serials/numbers are...
I suspect that is one of developemental birds, or used for part of some internal systems development.. as to it being how so related, I can only but guess to its possible uses - even if the later colour pics, have the cylinder removed, and with no other details of the cylinder intself.

Scientific measuring equipment and methods have change constantly in some areas of its application (staying at the tip of cutting edge methods
theory and design) certainly since the advent of the computerised mass data processing of recent decades being reduced in size and increased in
computational powers makes it harder to spot the older bigger totaly different rarer seemingly mecha-pnumaitc Heath Robinson equipments of
old..

1. measuring (with the tech of the era available equipment) over the nose airlfow speeds, vortices strengths directions/buffeting - if the mount
is/was able to be turned by or be deflected by the airstream, linked to some measuring instruments for speeds and forces/variations in them, at
different relative angles of incedence of the assembly to the fuz'.
2. that and/or; ..as you earlier suggested for calibrating pitot aircraft airspeed air-pressure capsule; for engines, or pre-'Mach' speed airflow changes to accurise 'higher' airspeed gauge(s).
3. is used somehow for high speed airflow measuring in connection with the cannons - fired gun gas effecting airflow; or to do with making the gyrosight more accurate to the aircrafts traits characteristics.

Well those are my off the top of the head guesses... and I claim the right to be wrong

The aircraft's Werknummer is 501232 and was one of the last Me 262's to be produced. It was assembled at Budweis, Czechoslovakia. More than likely, this device was added by the U.S. Navy for test purposes. It would be great to find someone with knowledge of test equipment in 1946. Feel free to post the photos. Maybe someone else will be in the know.

Regards,
Richard

BikerBabe · Oct 28, 2011

Try writing to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which testes W. Nr. 501232 after the war, they've also got her on display.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base - Contact Us

I hope Richard gets his answer.

Cheers,

Maria.

Need help identifying vane on Me 262

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Richard T. Eger

Recruit

FLYBOYJ

"THE GREAT GAZOO"

razor1uk

Staff Sergeant

BikerBabe

Senior Master Sergeant

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