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Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow)
Messerschmitt A.G. were asked in 1938 to design a vehicle around the new turbojet engines then being developed by Junkers and BMW. This they completed the following year, and early in 1940 were authorised to construct a small batch of prototypes. For various reasons the early jet engines were unsuited to the aircraft, and official enthusiasm wavered, but in July 1942, with the emergence of Jumo engines, the Me 262 began to show its true promise as a fighter. The RLM, however, remained convinced that they could win the war with conventional fighters and gave the Messerschmitt Me 262 a very low development priority. Despite the success of flight trials and the enthusiasm of his advisers, Hitler refused to sanction quantity production until November 1943, when after a personal demonstration he decided against overwhelming advice to the contrary to go ahead with the type as a bomber. Series production of the Messerschmitt Me 262A-1 as a fighter began in May 1944, but when Hitler discovered this a month or two later he immediately ordered the conversion of those so far built into bombers.

The Messerschmitt Me 262A-2 Sturmvogel, as the bomber version was known, was fitted to carry two 500 kg bombs or one 1000 kg a factor which immediately cut its speed to a point within reach of Allied piston-engined fighters. This typical piece of Hitlerian pig-headedness cost the Luftwaffe valuable months, when they might have been employing the Me 262 as a fighter, in converting it to a role for which it was quite unsuited. Ironically, as the result of the war became more and more certain, Hitler gave the Messerschmitt Me 262 a defensive fighter utter priority over all other aircraft production in Germany; yet of over 1400 produced, probably only 200 or so were actually operational against the Allies. Other variants built or projected included the Messerschmitt Me 262B-1 dual control trainer, the Me262 B-2 night fighter, the Me 262C rocket-boosted fighter and the Me 262D and E rocket-armed bomber interceptors.
Production: 1430 aircrafts.

Design and Structure

• Type: Twin-jet monoplane designed for various combat roles.

• Wings:

  • Configuration: Low-wing cantilever monoplane.
  • Structure: One-piece wing that fits into a recess on the underside of the fuselage.
  • Design: The center portion has a swept-back leading edge and a swept-forward trailing edge, while the outer portions are tapered and swept-back with square-cut tips.
  • Construction: All-metal with a single built-up I-section main spar, smooth flush-riveted stressed skin, and detachable wing tips.
  • Control Surfaces: Frise type ailerons in two sections on each wing. The slotted flaps, positioned inboard of the ailerons, can extend up to 60° with a backward movement of about 5 inches. Full-span automatic leading-edge slots enhance control.

• Fuselage:

  • Construction: All-metal semi-monocoque structure, near triangular in section with rounded corners.
  • Sections: Built in four main sections—nose cone, center-section including cockpit, rear fuselage, and tail section. The nose cone is of steel construction and houses the guns and ammunition.

• Tail Unit:

  • Configuration: Cantilever monoplane with the tailplane mounted halfway up the fin.
  • Control Surfaces: Mass-balanced rudder and elevators, with a geared tab for trimming on the rudder and trim-tabs in the elevators.

Landing Gear

• Type: Retractable tricycle undercarriage.
  • Operation: Main wheels retract inward into the wings’ underside, and the nose wheel retracts backward into the fuselage.
  • Brakes: Hydraulic brakes are fitted on all wheels.

Power Plant

• Engines: Two Junkers Jumo 004 B eight-stage axial-flow gas turbine engines, mounted in nacelles under each wing.
  • Starting: Powered by a small Riedel two-stroke motor built into each engine unit.
  • Fuel: J-2 diesel oil, stored in four tanks within the fuselage (two of 198 gallons, one of 38 gallons, and one of 132 gallons).

Accommodation

• Cockpit: Single-seater with the cockpit positioned over the trailing edge of the wing. It features a sideways-hinged canopy.
• Protection: The pilot is protected by 15 mm armor plates at the front and rear, along with a 90 mm bullet-resistant windscreen.
• Variants: In two-seater versions, an additional wireless-operator is seated behind the pilot, facing forward.

Armament

• Standard: Four fixed 30 mm MK 108 cannons located in the nose, converging at 400-500 yards.
  • Ammunition: Upper guns carry 100 rounds per gun, lower guns carry 80 rounds per gun.
• Bomb Load: Equipped with two external bomb-carriers under the fuselage, capable of holding either two 250 kg bombs or one 500 kg bomb. Drop tanks can also be mounted on these carriers.

Dimensions and Weights

• Dimensions:

  • Span: 41 ft. (12.5 m)
  • Length: 34 ft. 9.5 in. (10.6 m)
  • Height: 12 ft. 7 in. (3.8 m)
  • Wing Area: 234 sq. ft. (21.7 sq. m)

• Weights:

  • Me 262A-1 Fighter: Take-off weight of 15,500 lbs. (7,045 kg), with 522 gallons of fuel and full ammunition.
  • Me 262A-2 Bomber: Take-off weight of 15,400 lbs. (7,000 kg), with 528 gallons of fuel, two guns, 160 rounds of ammunition, and two 250 kg bombs.

Performance

• Maximum Speed: Approximately 525 mph (840 km/h) at 22,960 ft. (7,000 m)
• Climb: To 26,240 ft. (8,000 m) in 11 minutes
• Service Ceiling: 39,360 ft. (12,000 m)
• Take-off Run: 1,090 yards (1,000 m), reducible to 655 yards (600 m) with two auxiliary take-off rockets, each providing a thrust of 1,100 lbs. (500 kg).

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