Bad management of the project by the RLM/Luftwaffe from Goering downwards.
Dishonest, or at least 'economical with the truth', feed back from the manufacturer to the above. This was not a problem unique to Heinkel, in fact it plagued the German aviation industry at the time.
The above essentially illustrate the difference between the He 177 project which whilst producing over 1,000 aircraft was operationally insignificant and the Manchester/Lancaster project, which produced over 7,000of one of the most operationally influential aircraft of the war.
The He 177 was just another spectacularly dropped catch by the Germans. It consumed considerable resources for a negligible result. It could have been very different indeed, it just needed some clear and concise decision making from it's inception until it entered service, something that time and time again was a problem for the Nazi system which seemed to specialise in moving goal posts.
Cheers
Steve
Dishonest, or at least 'economical with the truth', feed back from the manufacturer to the above. This was not a problem unique to Heinkel, in fact it plagued the German aviation industry at the time.
The above essentially illustrate the difference between the He 177 project which whilst producing over 1,000 aircraft was operationally insignificant and the Manchester/Lancaster project, which produced over 7,000of one of the most operationally influential aircraft of the war.
The He 177 was just another spectacularly dropped catch by the Germans. It consumed considerable resources for a negligible result. It could have been very different indeed, it just needed some clear and concise decision making from it's inception until it entered service, something that time and time again was a problem for the Nazi system which seemed to specialise in moving goal posts.
Cheers
Steve