Another 262 en eBay
 

Re: Another 262 en eBay
 

Hi CJE,

Interesting picture. Any ideas on the purposes of 1. the object in the dorsal position behind the cockpit and 2. the strut from the wing to the vertical stabilizer on the port side?

best regards,

Jim Geens

Re: Another 262 en eBay
 

Lechfeld

Re: Another 262 en eBay
 

Hello Jim,

among other things the 056 was a testbed for nightfighter equipment.

1 dorsal fin
2 antenna for FuG 226 "Neuling" IFF 5 (for identification Friend/Foe).

Nowarra "Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945" Vol. 4 page 147:
FuG 226 "Neuling": Hersteller Lorenz, Kenn- und Abfragegerät Boden-Bord und Bord-Bord, dazu Führungsgerät. Abfrage mit Bordfunkmeßgeräten. Nur Mustereinbau. Großserie lief an.

Regards
Leo

Re: Another 262 en eBay
 

Hello Leo,

Thank you for this explanation and especially the source.

Further to the "dorsal fin", according to an unsourced caption on page 37 of Brett Green's Modelling Luftwaffe Jets and Wonder Weapons (2012):

"...V-056 was a flying test-bed for elements of the proposed two-seater Me 262 B-2a [sic] night fighter. The fin fitted to the fuselage spine behind the cockpit was intended to assess the aerodynamic impact of the longer canopy of the two-seater."

Thank you again.

Jim

Re: Another 262 en eBay
 

Mea culpa!

My eyes are deceiving me. Literally. What I saw as a spar connecting the port wing to the vertical stabilizer is an optical illusion caused by two dipoles about 50 cm. long sticking vertically up from the wing. They are the antenna of the FuG 226.

After some research, I have concluded that at the end of February or beginning of March 1945 Messerschmitt modified V-056 outwardly to resemble the interim two-seat night fighter Me 262 B-1/U2 for aerodynamic and performance evaluation during daylight hours. This involved attaching the dipoles of the apparatuses and a dorsal fin to the aircraft. The radar and IFF equipment were never installed. According to one source Karl Baur tested this configuration on 9 March 1945.

Jim