Are there any flyable Me 262?
Presently there are only three of these Me 262 replicas flying: two in the United States and one in Germany. Thankfully all are powered by General Electric J85 engines and feature additional safety features, such as upgraded brakes and strengthened landing gear.
Who shot down the most Me 262?
The Me 262’s top ace was probably Hauptmann Franz Schall with 17 kills, including six four-engine bombers and ten P-51 Mustang fighters, although fighter ace Oberleutnant Kurt Welter claimed 25 Mosquitos and two four-engine bombers shot down by night and two further Mosquitos by day.
What plane shot down the most Me 262?
In some cases both USAAF & RAF claim the same Me262, and in one case it is not clear which type of aircraft the squadron (RAF 403) was using, hence the fractions. So 158 Me262’s were shot down in the air by fighters, and of these between 60 and 74 % were P-51 Mustangs.
Is 262 a good plane?
Despite its great speed advantage, the Me 262 was not as maneuverable as top-of-the-line piston fighters and it had a tendency to stall due to a tricky compressor. The jet engines burned out quickly and were not that reliable. In addition, they also produced a great deal of smoke, leaving a noticeable exhaust trail.
Did the Gloster Meteor ever fight the Me 262?
The biggest frustration for the pilots of 616 Squadron was that they never clashed with the Me 262, or indeed with any German fighter aircraft.
How fast is a p51 Mustang?
437 mphNorth American P-51 Mustang / Top speed
Did the Me 262 break the sound barrier?
Mutke also made the controversial claim that he broke the sound barrier in 1945 in an Me 262, but mainstream opinion continues to regard Chuck Yeager as the first person to achieve this milestone in 1947 in a Bell X-1….
| Hans Guido Mutke | |
|---|---|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Other work | Commercial pilot |
What was the Me 262 used for?
Entering service in April 1944, the Me 262 was used in two primary roles. The Me 262 A-1a “Schwalbe” (Swallow) was developed as a defensive interceptor while the Me 262 A-2a “Sturmvogel” (Stormbird) was created as a fighter-bomber. The Stormbird variant was designed at Hitler’s insistence.
When did the Me 262 enter service?
April 1944
Entering service in April 1944, the Me 262 was used in two primary roles. The Me 262 A-1a “Schwalbe” (Swallow) was developed as a defensive interceptor while the Me 262 A-2a “Sturmvogel” (Stormbird) was created as a fighter-bomber.
How long could a Messerschmitt Me 262 fly?
Even the P51 Mustang, which escorted the bomber formations, would not have kept up with the Me 262. The Mustang had a maximum speed of 437 mph while the Me 262 could fly at a maximum of 540 mph….Messerschmitt 262.
| Maximum speed | 540 mph |
|---|---|
| Range | 650 miles |
| Service ceiling | 38,000 feet |
| Rate of climb | 3,940 feet per minute |
| Span | 41 feet |
When was the first Me 262 used in combat?
The first confirmed Allied air combat with an Me 262 occurred on July 26th, 1944 when Luftwaffe Me 262 test unit Erprobungskommando 262 (EK 262) pilot Lt. Alfred “Bubi” Schreiber targeted a high flying de Havilland Mosquito photo reconnaissance aircraft from RAF No. 544 Squadron over Munich. The RAF pilot Flight Lieutenant A. E.
What was the difference between the Me-262 and the meteor?
The Me 262 had a shorter range than the Meteor and had less reliable engines. The USAAF compared the P-80 Shooting Star and Me 262, concluding that the Me 262 was superior in acceleration and speed, with similar climb performance. The Me 262 appeared to have a higher critical Mach number than any American fighter.
What went wrong with the Me-262?
The high speed of the Me 262 also presented problems when engaging enemy aircraft, the high-speed convergence allowing Me 262 pilots little time to line up their targets or acquire the appropriate amount of deflection.
Is this the only Me-262 bomber still in service?
The Australian War Memorial’s website states that the aircraft “is the only Me 262 bomber variant to survive, and is the only remaining Me 262 wearing its original paint”. South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg, South Africa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FA1yCfz9s4