The Germans won WWII........

[delcyros]

I think we agree all that the He-162 wasn´t the most advanced jet of ww2 (both, the P-80 and Me-262 were more advanced, not to speak of the Ho-IX and Ju-287). It was specifically designed for fast deployment (altough the story that it had been drawn, designed, constucted and done it´s maiden flight in 2 months is a myth, the design based on Heinkels 1078 project series, started in early 1944), as an urgency measure to counter the ground attack thread. Hence it suffered shortcomings (Revi-16D instead of EZ 42 makes aiming more challenging). Nethertheless it finally went into a useful plane despite the fact that a lot of good pilot´s died flying a Salamander (compare the losses of the first combat ready Me-262 unit, Kdo. Nowotny, and the first He-162 combat unit and You will find them all very comparable-at least they had serially equipped ejection seats in the Salamander). The most advanced He-162 prototype was a half finished study prototype with interchangable swept back swept forward wings, found by advancing allied ground troops at Schwechau plant. I do personally agree with Glider others that a combination of Me-262 fighting bombers and He-162 covering starts&landings and dealing with escorts would have been a tough opposition.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Ill agree with that.

 

[Gnomey]

Yep, good post delcyros.

 

[Twitch]

Henk- her name was Lily and the artwork originally was a lily. Even so she became known as the White Rose of Stalingrad
The He 162 evolved from the Project P. 1073 not the P.1078. All else agreed.

 

[Henk]

Thanks Twitch. Yes, I will agree to that too, great post mate.

Henk

 

[delcyros]

Nice skin, twitch!

 

[HealzDevo]

Yes, really great skin model.

 

[Lucky13]

Wasn't the He-162 designed from the beginning to be flown by Hitlerjugend pilots?

 

[Lucky13]

Didn't the TA-183 kinda fly, if you get what I mean? he he he....
Just look at the J-29 and the TA-183 and you'll see the similarities.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Actually it was the Mig that was influenced by the 183.

 

[Lucky13]

I'm not gonna argue about that, O' Enlighted One. Maybe both were inspired by the TA-183. Please feel free to fill me in. I'm just getting back into this after a FEW blue moon's absence...
I remember that the Swedes got their hands on some German jet plans, maybe it's another that I'm think about.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I honestly dont know if the J29 was inspired by the Ta-183 or not. I have said in other threads though that the J29 looks like the 183 quite a bit.

 

[Lucky13]

Some of the Luftwaffe "paper projects" look so modern it's unbelievable. I'm surprised that not more took to the air....

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

When you are being attacked on 2 major fronts closing in on you and your country is being bombed day and night to dust, you wont have the time, recourses and possibility of putting them in the air either.

 

[Lucky13]

Sorry matey... I meant after WWII and by other air forces.... Sorry.

 

[Civettone]

I've read about the Ta 183s influences on the MiG or Saab but it appears to unsubstantiated. In fact, they don't have more in common than swept-back wings and the engine in a short fuselage.
Personally I consider the Messerschmitt P 1101 a much more likely inspiration as this aircraft was actually built.

Kris

 

[GregP]

I don't agree that the FW 109D and Ta 152 were the best, but that's just me. They were good, no doubt.

The Ta 152 was not too difficult to kill at low and intermediate altitudes. It was a high-altitude specialist.

The Fw 190D was good. If I am not mistaken, there were about 650 - 700 produced, mostly from 1944 onwards, and most were not flown due to fuel shortages. The best? Maybe ... I'd go with the Spitfire Mk XIV, the Lavochkin La-7, the Yalovlev Yak-3, or the F4U-4 Corsair ... in no particular order.

But, that's me. I am from the U.S.A. but please note only one of my choices is from my country. Hey, they're MY choices. The poster obviously chooses the FW 190D and his opinion is as valid as mine.

There can be no doubt that the Germans produced good aircraft, even great ones. They shot down more enemy aircraft than any other air force. Might as well give credit where credit is due. Many people malign the Bf 109, but Hartmann, Barkhorn and Rall ... the three men who shot down more enemy aircraft than most other 50 men taken together ... all used the Bf 109 as their primary mount.

It could NOT have been as bad as post-WWII Allied propaganda makes it out to be. A careful look at the Bf 109 will reveal excellent performance even in 1945, with some idiosyncrasies. All fighters had them.

 

[Civettone]

I for one totally agree with you, Greg.

Kris

 

[Civettone]

The Heinkel 162 did not have experienced pilots.

To my knowledge no He 162 was ever flown by an unexperienced pilot. Nor were they going to be flown by them. In 1945 the Luftwaffe had a enough experienced men to fly the few aircraft that had the fuel for them.

Kris