Eric Brown's Account of the He-162 from "Wings of the Luftwaffe"
Rob Arndt
with the intriguing if purely academic question of how it would have
made out if it had been used in anger. It would certainly have been
an effective gun platform, and its small dimensions would have
rendered it difficult to hit. Even if somewhat underpowered, it had a
good performance… it could have certainly have run rings around the
contemporary Meteor… but it was no aeroplane to let embryo pilots
loose on, and it would have demanded more than simply a good pilot to
operate it out of a small airfield. Nevertheless, as a back-up for the
formidable Me-262 it could conceivably have helped the Luftwaffe to
regain air superiority over Germany had it appeared on the scene
sooner. Personally, I shall always recall the He-162 with affection as
it gave me some exhilarating hours in the air, and I cannot help but
feel that the Allies were fortunate for, had another month or two and
the necessary fuel been available, the He-162 might well have got in
amongst our bombers in numbers at a time when desperate measures might
just have achieved sensational results”
~ Eric Brown from “Wings of the Luftwaffe” pg.26
Note that Brown evaluated the He-162 right after WW2 and as such is
mistaken about the aircraft being operational with JG 1 and the
claimed 2-4 kills...
Rob
Daryl Hunt
There is no doubt that the 162 went operational. There is also
no doubt that it was too rushed in production by slave labor and
killed on both ends of the barrel. It had a problem of the
Rudder breaking off in flight making a danger to the pilot when
it had to roll or do a violent maneuver. It may have gone
operational and there may have been about 130 produced but it had
little or no affect on the outcome of the war. It seems it's
worst characteristic was it's 30 minutes of flight and very
little gas to fuel it with.
Rob Arndt
>
> - Show quoted text -
Actually, around 300 He-162s were completed bfore VE-Day with 1000
under construction underground. The 162 became operational with JG 1
at Leck and scored at least one confirmed kill by Lt. R. Schmitt who
downed a Typhoon on May 4, 1945.
JG 1 had 50 a/c at the surrender with 30 available for service. Fuel
was the main problem, not any problem with the delivered a/c.
Rob
Dan
> JG 1 had 50 a/c at the surrender with 30 available for service. Fuel
> was the main problem, not any problem with the delivered a/c.
>
> Rob
Other than weak glue or weak tail sections.
Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired
Daryl Hunt
The fact is, a Test Pilot by the name of Mark was warned about
the Rudder snapping off. He disregarded this during an air
show and it killed him. He was too low to use his ejection seat.
Someone asked how you got out of one in trouble? Ejection seat.
Again, outside of the tail snapping, the main problem was the
hasty construction. But I don't think the Germans had much
choice. But it wasn't the Germans that did the actual assembly
but captured people otherwise known as slaves.
deem...@aol.com
And here I thought those were Pro-Nazi foreigners just DYING to
help the war effort......
Daryl Hunt
Pro Nazi. We might be pro nazi with the gun at the back of our
heads as well. Who knows, one knows not their mettle until it
comes to it.