Me262 found at Deelen

[stephen f. polyak]

Jaap,

Thank you very much for digging deeper -- trying to solve the mystery of main ID plates on Me262's by "interrogating" surviving aircraft.

To me, all evidence so far indicates that if main plates were fitted to Me262's, it was not where the wartime manual illustrates. Now, I'll go further and suggest that, because main plates were not (to be) hidden (as we see from the manual), none have surfaced (removed or attached, or even virtually via remaining rivet holes in the fuselage) or are conclusively seen in period photos, they were not used. I also go back to what appears to be the same situation for main plates on other jet-/rocket-powerd planes or last-built propellor types such as the Ta152.

The presence of a main plate was not a necessity in any case, and as the war increasingly closed in on Germany, they may well have been left behind in the strained process of building flyable airplanes.

As always, I welcome any and all thoughts, not to mention any solid new information, from members.

All the best,
Steve

[Vince Malfara]

Good morning.
I came across a photo in an expired eBay listing which depicts a data plate similar to the one Stephen attached in post #10 . Albeit not attached to an aircraft, it is along the lines of an ME262 data plate. I hope.

Best Regards

Vince...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/2-Typenschild...p2047675.l2557

[Harold Lake]

In 1966, I had an opportuniuty to examine the 2-seat Me 262 B-1a, W.Nr. 110639, at Willow Grove NAS. At the time, I clearly recall this aircraft's Typenschild was still attached. And, if you have any photos of this Me 262 from this period, look closely and you will see it. Its position and shape conformed to the official drawing in post 25, except it was lower but on the same north-south axis. To be precise, it was in the second panel down adjacent to the panel with the oval filler (see Classic Me 262 vol. 6 page 865 A. Bentley dwg.). In 1966, the plate can been seen close to the leading edge of the painted "1" of its bogus US created number 13.
Sorry, I can not say how long this plate was on the fuselage...perhaps it was still there when restoration began?

Hal

[Harold Lake]

Sorry, the post with the Typenschild was S.F. Polyak's number 10

Hal

[Vince Malfara]

Thanks for the info Harold

I haven't been able to find a good clean pic of the port side in the Red 13 paint scheme of 110639 (lots of the starboard), but I did find this link to White 34 which shows what could be a data plate.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/air...4-a-33652.html

Regards

Vince...

[Kutscha]

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds...therlands.html

The a/c has been identified as the 1st production Me262A-1a.

[Dan O'Connell]

Thank you for that short video!

[RolandF]

The oblique red targeting lines found on the cockpit sherds make it a bomber as which it was used - already with Kommando Schenk. The letter "V?" may be part of the StKz; the camouflage seem to me a standard 74/75/76, still covering all surfaces in mid-'44.

As for 130026 as "1st production Me262A-1a".
I have 130026 as penultimate preseries Me262S21 VI+AZ of 22 Me262S pre-production jets produced at Leipheim. What is correct?

Regards

RolandF

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

The Me 262 S21 statement.

Regards,
Norbert

[Kutscha]

Dan will have to make a correction then.