[Graham Boak]

John, I cannot claim to be a Lancastrian, being a Geordie in long-term exile. (Strictly speaking, arguably not a Geordie either, but a pit-yacker, but perhaps that's too obscure!).

However, I have been employed in Aerodynamics, Flight Test and Operational Analysis for a well-known Single British Aircraft Company. I have seen the (real) Pk for WW2, later and current weapons. Modern guided weapons really are more than one order of magnitude more accurate than the unguided weapons of WW2.

I didn't see the programme, so cannot comment on what was said, what biases the makers may have introduced to their presentation (deliberately or accidentally), or what was omitted. I certainly would not recommend accepting all the sales claims for modern kit, but the improvement since WW2 is non-the-less real.

The comment from Luftwaffe pilots could be made by any bomber pilot, any era. Error distance is dependent on speed, all else constant. With no more sophisticated aiming device, the 262 would be less accurate than an Fw 190, and considerably less accurate than a Ju 87. Hunter pilots may sympathise, being no better off.

Kutscha: What Me 262 kill tally? Against fighters, it had one of the poorest kill to loss ratios in history. Are you discussing limitations on the Meteor Mk.1, which was used against the V-1s, or the Meteor Mk.3 that came to the continent in 1945? The main combat limitation on the Mk.3 was the short range, common to all that generation of jet fighters and (with shortage of numbers) preventing it from playing any significant role. That generation of jet fighters were all interceptors, not escorts or air superiority types.