Original documents ME262B-1a/U1

[mig2830]

Hi Forum,

I was wondering if anybody has a copy of the original documents (taht you would like to share) that auterice the designation of the intermidiate as ME262B-1a/U1 for the night fighting version of the ME262?

So far in my serch for documentation I have not seen just one pice of evidence for the designation ME 262B-1a/U1

Regards

 

[Nicolaas]

Hi
The only evidence I found is in The Complete book of Fighters by William Green and Gordon Swanborough.
On page 382 is a a photo of a two seater with the text ME 262b-1a/U1.
The U1 version was based on the 2 seat trainer ME282-B2. Only 7 seems to have reached the operational status.

 

[mig2830]

Hi
The only evidence I found is in The Complete book of Fighters by William Green and Gordon Swanborough.
On page 382 is a a photo of a two seater with the text ME 262b-1a/U1.
The U1 version was based on the 2 seat trainer ME282-B2. Only 7 seems to have reached the operational status.

Hi,

It is true that in all books, internet etc. the reference is ME 262B-1a/U1, but I have not so far seen one original wartime document using that designation. There is a document from a meeting on the 1st September 1944 stating the decision to make a two seated night fighter version of the ME262, based on the trainer version. There it should be designated ME 262B-2. So when was this changed (if) to ME262B-1a/U1?

 

[Crimea_River]

The B-2 designation was not "changed" to B-1a/U1. Andreas Zapf, author of "The Jet Night Fighters" which was published just last year, mentions the same meeting as you above. He states that the meeting "reveals the plans to build a 'real' Me262 night fighter, coded Messerschmitt Me262B-2, and bridge the time till this variant becomes available by building an 'interim night fighter', the Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1." This extract from the book seems to indicate that the meeting of September 1, 1944 mentions the interim designation.

Later in the book, he includes a copy of an original document called an "Overview of the Me262 Delivery" dated March 20, 1945. Of course, none of the new two seat night fighters is listed as delivered yet but he says that "additional sheets are available at the Bundesarchiv in Freiburg..." The sheet included does not list types by numeric designation but by description. There is a category for "Umbau" showing numbers for High Altitude PR, Nightfighter, and Two Seater versions.

One other clue is in the known Werke Numbers which seem to fall within Me262A production blocks. For instance, W.Nr. 110600 was an A-1 as was 110652. However 110636 was a B-1a/U1, the first one lost on operations. This suggests that the two seater was a conversion from an A model, hence the "U" designation.

In the front of the book, Herr Zapf invites anyone who wants to reach him to do so via email at [email protected].

 

[mig2830]

Hi,

Reading the mentioned document carefully, it states that the night fighter will be based on the trainer, not a new development that is coming later with a longer fuselage. The design study for the series production version are ready by late january 1945 with a cockpit mockup inspection in December 1944.

The documents that I have seen from the archive in Freiburg also state the delivery of the interim version to operational unit 10./NJG11 as B-2!

You are Absolut right about the Werk Numbers. All the two seated night fighters started off as a single seated fighter, both the A1 and the A2 versions were send for modification.

If the modification was done to a B-1a (the trainer version) the U1 designation would be correct.

But I don't think that they first were converted to trainers and then to nigh fighters because the rear cockpit is not identical (it is much shorter than the trainer version and the radar operators feeds are inside the front cockpit in pockets), as well as the fuel tank behind the radar operator is the standard 600 liter tank used in the fighter version, hence the fuel filler point behind the radar operator.

 

[Crimea_River]

You have much more info than I do on this topic. I'd suggest you contact the author for followups.

 

[mig2830]

Hi,

Found it! There is a document from Messerschmitt Oberamergau dated 10 january 1945 "Baureihen-Übersiht 8-262".

There the ME 262B-1a/U1 is used for the intermidiate version and B-2a for the extended fuselage version.

This is a litle bit strange with the U1 nomenclature, as the nightfighter version was never a conversion kit to the trainer version, but a conversion of the fighter version as was the trainer. And the only common part is the rear center fuel tank.

best regards