Me 262 should have been used as a bomber?

[Roger Gaemperle]

Some additional information regarding the Jumo 004s:

During the summer and fall 1944 Junkers, Messerschmitt and Rechlin tried to optimize the settings of the speed regulator and the adjustable exhaust area motor in order to increase the altitude performance. At the same time work was being carried out on new types of regulators and fuel nozzles that should have avoided a flame out at high altitude or a burning engine when the pilot moved the throttle too quickly. All these work gradually improved the reliability of the engine step by step.

On 3 January 1945 the Kriegstagebuch Chef TLR announced that the problems of the engines at high altitude and when the throttle was moved quickly were eliminated ("Ausgehen der Triebwerke in Höhe und bei schneller Drosselung bei Jumo 004 behoben").

On 4 April TLR mentioned that it was intented to introduce the new speed governor that completely eliminated the "throttle problems" at both the units and serial production by the beginning of April.

A post war interrogation report (A.D.I. Report 323/1945) by the Allieds said that "a new regulator had been developed to control the fuel flow from 0 rpm to maximum so that the throttles could be set at once at any point. ... The new regulator had been tested and found satisfactory".

So, while it is true that the Germans experienced engine problems in summer and fall 1944, R&D at both Junkers, Messerschmitt and Rechlin gradually improved the performance and reliability and at the end of the war the most severe issues had been resolved.

Of course by this point in time the German industry had suffered so heavily from the Allied bombing that material and supply issues became more critical than technical deficiencies.

Regards
Roger Gaemperle