From: osa379p@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Subject: Me-262 and Me-210
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 16:45:13 GMT


From osa379p@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au

Reference : Messerschmitt, an aircraft album, J Richard Smith Ian Allen 1971,
SBN 7710 0224 X.

The recent discussion about the Me-262 seems to have started from a "what if" 
the ME-262 had been put into operational service sooner.  Here is a chronology

Development contract 1 March 1940
Three airframes completed in early 1941 (Me-262 V1, V2 and V3)
First flight of seven with a piston engine in the nose (V1), 4 April 1941
First Attempt at jet powered flight, 25 November 1941, both engines failed at
take off revolutions.
First Successful jet powered flight 18 July 1942 by the V3 aircraft, it was
severely damaged on 11 August 1942.  On 2 October 1942 the V2 aircraft replaced
the V3 and in March 1943 the V1 airframe joined the test program after a
rebuild.

In late 1942 the development contract went from 15 to 45 aircraft.
Me-262 V4 arrived in April 1943 and was flown by Galland on 22 May 1943, and
then demonstrated to Goring on 23 July 1943.

Me-262 V5 first flew on 23 July 1943, and had a fixed nosewheel undercarriage.
Me-262 V6 first flew in October 1943, and had a fully retractable nosewheel
undercarriage.  This aircraft was demonstrated to Hitler on 26 November 1943
and the infamous Blitz Bomber idea was born.
Me-262 V7, pressurised cabin, November 1943
Me-262 V8, first airframe to carry armament (4 30mm cannon), December 1943.
Me-262 V9, radio and IFF test bed, January 1944.
Me-262A-0 Pre production, 13 delivered in April 1944
Me-262 V10, the first airframe to be fitted with bomb racks, 1 May 1944
Me-262A-1a production model deliveries commenced early summer 1944, basically
similar to A-0 variant.

First experimental Me-262 fighter unit formed late June 1944, this became
Kommando Nowotny in October 1944, with 30 aircraft on strength. It was later
merged into JG 7.
First recorded jet interception 25 July 1944 (the Mosquito got away)
First Me-262 bomber variants delivered June 1944, first bomber unit became
operational in August 1944, 3 Staffel I/KG 51, strength 9 aircraft.

Total production around 1,433 aircraft, including fighter, bomber, night
fighter, trainer and photo recon variants.

In terms of losses engine failure (33%) and undercarriage failure (34%) were
the two largest causes.  The turbines had a tendency to fail on take off and
landing and when they did it made the aircraft very difficult to control, 
furthermore the turbines had an inclination to compressor stall and flame out at
altitude, giving a normal operational ceiling of 26,000 feet, while "careful
handling" could enable the aircraft to reach 35,000 feet.

>From the above chronology two points are clear, firstly that it was the
development of the jet engines themselves that delayed the whole program, there
was a gap of 15 to 18 months between airframe and engine availability and the
production version of the engine was still not fully reliable.  Secondly Hitlers
intervention did not delay the introduction of the Me-262 fighter but did
cause the diversion of the aircraft to bomber units.  This diversion competed
with diversion of aircraft to training, photo recon and night fighting duties.
Given these diversions, the inevitable attrition and the slow ramp up of
production it seems (to me) the front line strength of the ME-262 units was
around 100 to 200 by late 1944, as against a piston engined fighter force of
around 1,500 to 2,000 machines.  The Me-262's simply arrived too late, after
the decimation of the Luftwaffe fighter force in early to mid 1944, and in too
small numbers, making Hitlers decision really not that significant a factor in
the end, although every little bit helps.  In the mid 1940's it took about two
years between prototype flight and full scale production for piston engined
aircraft, the Me-262 was a new airframe coupled to a new method of propulsion,
production delays and operational problems were inevitable, and it was these 
that mattered more than the diversion to bomber units.

To postulate a what if the Me-262 had arrived earlier would mean that the jet
technology would have to be available much earlier, pre war, and that the
allies ignored development of the jet.  Potential what if's should note all the
major powers were up to date in their basic technology, for example they were
all investigating radar and atomic energy, the difference was in the amount of
resources allocated and the application of the new technology.  The Gloster
Meteor went into operational service only a few days after the Me-262, and yes
it did not have as high a performance as the Me-262.

To put the development time in perspective the Mosquito first flew in November
1940, and the photo recon version entered service in September 1941.  The night
fighter and bomber versions entered service in the spring of 1942 and it took
all of 1942 to ramp up production.  So it took around two years from prototype
flight to operations in numbers and this was with proven powerplants.

Production of the P-47 was ordered in September 1940, the prototype first flew
in May 1941, the first P-47 fighter group was formed in mid 1942 and entered
service (after shipment to England) in early 1943, again around two years
after prototype flight, with production building during 1942/3.

Finally the Me-210, "the company's main failure", Goring remarked his epitaph
would read "he would have lived longer if the Me-210 had not been produced".  A
follow up development to the Me-110, ordered off the drawing board, with the
prototype flying in September 1939.  The aircraft had "severe longitudinal
instability" and "spun at the slightest provocation".  Many modifications were
tried which inevitably slowed production and only 352 were delivered out of a
contract for 1,000 aircraft.  In the end the fuselage was lengthened by just
over 3 feet 6 inches and leading edge slots were fitted to the wings.  These
modifications finally had an effect on the stability problems. The Hungarians
also produced some Me-210's.  Raw performance figures give the early ME-210's a
top speed of 385 MPH, a range of 1,500 miles and a loaded weight of 18,000 lbs,
and these compare closely to the figures for the early Mosquito Night fighters
and fighter bombers.  The Me-210 became the Me-410 when the engines were
upgraded on late production Me-210's, the only way to pick the two aircraft
apart was an 8 inch increase in engine cowlings.  The Me-410 had a loaded
weight some 5,500 lbs greater than the early Me-210's, it carried heavier
cannon armament, but it's range and top speed were basically the same as the
early Me-210's.  Lots of armament variations, 20mm/30mm/50mm cannons, one ace
had 8 20mm cannons fitted to his machine.  Total production around 1,126, first
entering service in May 1943.

Geoff Sinclair

Internet: GSINCLAIR@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au or OSA379P@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au

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