.jpg)
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multirole fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. German pilots nicknamed it the "Turbo", while the Allies called it the "Stormbird". While the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war, its design had a strong influence on postwar aircraft development. The 2 Junkers Jumo 004B-1 turbojets, that powered the Me 262, gave it a maximum speed of 870 km/h (541 mph) and a great speed advantage against Allied aircrafts what made it difficult to target because the jets closed into firing range quickly and had to remain in firing position only briefly using their standard attack profile.
The Me 262 was equipped with a complete on-board radar and "stag's antlers" antenna, 4x 30 mm MK 108 cannons, 2x 250 kg (550 lb) bombs, and 24x 55 mm (2.2 in) R4/M rockets. These lasts, The R4/M rockets (short for "Rakete 4kg. Minenkopfwere"), were probably the best general purpose rockets of the war. The German scientists felt that slender and faster was preferable to a larger and slower. The result was a rocket perfect for knocking down heavy bombers in a single shot, and dynamic enough to use a variety of special warheads. Mounted on a wooden plate under each wing, drag was minimal. The R4/M had a folding fin and traveled at 900 kph at maximum speed, armed with 520 grams of Hexogen explosive with a range of 1,100 m.
Eventually new combat tactics were developed to counter the allied bombers' defenses. Me 262s equipped with large numbers of R4/M rockets would approach from the side of a bomber formation where their silhouettes were widest and, while still out of range of the .50 caliber guns, fire a salvo of these explosive rockets. The explosive power of only one or two of these rockets was capable of downing even the famously rugged B-17. While this tactic came too late to have a real effect on the war it was nonetheless effective. On 1 September 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz expressed the fear that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses to the USAAF bombers heavy enough to cause cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive.
The Me 262 was equipped with a complete on-board radar and "stag's antlers" antenna, 4x 30 mm MK 108 cannons, 2x 250 kg (550 lb) bombs, and 24x 55 mm (2.2 in) R4/M rockets. These lasts, The R4/M rockets (short for "Rakete 4kg. Minenkopfwere"), were probably the best general purpose rockets of the war. The German scientists felt that slender and faster was preferable to a larger and slower. The result was a rocket perfect for knocking down heavy bombers in a single shot, and dynamic enough to use a variety of special warheads. Mounted on a wooden plate under each wing, drag was minimal. The R4/M had a folding fin and traveled at 900 kph at maximum speed, armed with 520 grams of Hexogen explosive with a range of 1,100 m.
Eventually new combat tactics were developed to counter the allied bombers' defenses. Me 262s equipped with large numbers of R4/M rockets would approach from the side of a bomber formation where their silhouettes were widest and, while still out of range of the .50 caliber guns, fire a salvo of these explosive rockets. The explosive power of only one or two of these rockets was capable of downing even the famously rugged B-17. While this tactic came too late to have a real effect on the war it was nonetheless effective. On 1 September 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz expressed the fear that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses to the USAAF bombers heavy enough to cause cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive.
No comments:
Post a Comment