Some enlarged and 'tweaked' photos of He 162s

[Tony Kambic]

In the last image ( #34 ) I see the BV155 in the background. If this is the UK, then were there 2 BV155s captured? At NASM, I worked on the Hirth Turbocharger that had been removed from a BV155 and I had viewed the BV155 in storage at Silver Hill.

[Karoband]

Hi Tony,

Good catch! To my eye, the walls and the ceilings do not match. They may, indeed, be two different buildings with two different He 162 A-2s.

Can anyone identify the location of image ( #34 )?

Thank you,

Jim

[Karoband]

Hi Tony,

After further examination of photographs, I believe that I have an answer for you.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1804

This photo from #33 shows in the top right corner a second He 162 in the A Shed with ropes from a hoist attached to the engine nacelle.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1805

This photo taken from the opposite direction shows two He 162s with Air Ministry numbers in front of a placard identifying BV 155 B and a distinctive wall pattern behind it.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1806

This BV 155 B is elsewhere captioned as BV 155 V2 [the prototype of the B model]. Note the identical placard and distinctive wall pattern placing a BV 155 B with He 162s that went to England.

best regards,

Jim

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1807

35. Wollenweber, p. 138, lists the sixth He 162 on the left side as He 162 A-2 W.Nr 120017 "Yellow 6, to USA, #T2-494." Franks, p. 28, gives it as "310017 (some state 120017, others 310012)". He agrees that it is "Yellow 6" and shipped to the USA "where it was allotted Foreign Equipment number FE-494." "It is believed to have been used for spare parts for FE-495 and then scrapped."
This photo shows the factory fresh W.Nr. 310017 (the diagonal stroke in the last digit is too long to be a "2"). It has the typical A-1 upper camo pattern that extends to the tip of the nose.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1808

36. Therefore, if the sixth aircraft were W.Nr. 310017, it would clearly have dark camo on the upper part of its nose tip extending back below the canopy. Conversely, if it were the early 120017, because of the high demarcation of that series, it would have no dark camo on the nose nor under the canopy. This poor photo shows no dark camo, so I conclude it is 120017.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1809

37. I have yet to see a photo showing the seventh aircraft at Leck, in the line-up on the left side. Both Wollenweber and Franks give the werknummer as 120098. Wollenweber, p. 138, give its code as "Yellow 3" on the fuselage directly below the windscreen. Franks gives it as "White 2 (not confirmed)" on p. 21. This photo shows it taking off from RAE Farnborough. Allocated Air Ministry number "67", it had arrived on 11 June 1945, one of the first. On 14 June it received RAF serial VH513 and was given to RAE's Aero Flight section and flown over twenty times between 3 August and 30 November 1945. Last seen, according to Franks, in the scrap compound at Farnborough on 15 December 1946. it is presumed to have been scrapped.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1814

38. In this photo, if you look closely, you can see an overpainted "White 2" in its proper position on the fuselage immediately behind and below the periplex canopy. Note that the colour of the forward engine cowl matches that of the centre of the RAF roundel.

[Steve Coates]

34. Almost certainly taken as part of the static display during the RAE's 'Exhibition of German Aircraft and Equipment' which took place during Oct/Nov 1945.

[Karoband]

Thank you, Steve. I presume it was taken as they were setting up the display.

[Steve Coates]

I think it's impossible to say for sure.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1817

39. Wollenweber, p. 138, identifies the eighth He 162 in the left-side line-up at Leck, as an A-2, W.Nr. 120223, "Yellow 1". Franks, p. 24, concurs that 120223 was "Yellow 1" and allocated to the French.
This photo, taken after 9 May 1945, shows W.Nr. 120223 in a field at Leck. Gunpowder residue in front of the cannon port indicates that the MG 131/20 had been fired. The Lippisch Ear has the same scalloped dark camo edge as the W.Nr. 120067, "White 4". Note that there is no white surround on the "Yellow 1".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1818

40. The components of the He 162 W.Nr. 120223 in February 1946 were shipped overland to the Armée de l'Air depot at Nanterrez, near Paris and with four other He 162 airframes went to the SNCAC facility at Boulogne-Billancourt where three A-2s were made airworthy. W.Nr. 120223 became French He 162 "No.1". However, after being painted, with the muzzles of it's MG 131/20 cannon protruding, "No.1" received the tail module of He 162 A-1 W.Nr 310005.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1819

41. Franks, p. 23 captions this photo as "The first airworthy A-2 was W/Nr. 120223 and it was seen here at the CEAM facility at Mont-de-Marsan in 1947." The last recorded flight ny an He 162 in France was undertaken on 23 July 1948 using "No.1", piloted by Capt. Georges Schlienge, from Monr-de-Marsan. However, " the take-off was slow and after a minute in the air the He 162 turned to port, its wheels still down, stalled and crashed killing the pilot.", Franks p.24. The other two airworthy He 162s in France were immediately grounded. In 1949, "No.2" was sent as an instructional airframe at the French Air Force's mechanic's school at Rochefort-sur-Mer where it was repainted in "Bordeaux Red".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1822

42. Now redundant, in July 1952, "No.2" was sent to the Musée de l'Air at Meudon where it was painted a dark shiny green that faded with age.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1820

43. In 1973, "No.2" was moved to the Musée de l'Air et Espace at Le Bourget airport, where upon examination of its tail it was found that its werknummer was 120223!


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1823

44. As a result of the above discovery, in 1975, "No.2" was displayed as "120223" at Le Bourget.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1821

45. This photo shows how "No.2" was later displayed at Le Bourget as "Yellow 1" W.Nr 120223 until being re-examined in 2005. Note how the red arrow is wrongly receded from the tip of the nose.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1824

46. In May 2005, a restoration team from the Mémorial Flight group at Le Bourget, including Phillippe Couderchon, began their examination of French He 162 No.2 before restoration. This photo shows partial removal of coats of paint. Note the indication of the red arrow at the nose tip.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1825

47. In his article, "He 162 In Bourget Werk-Nummer freiglegt, Flugzeug Classic, (10/2005), Phillippe Couderchon announced to the world that the werknummer of the He 162 displayed as "Yellow 1"; W.NR. 120223 at Le Bourget's Musée de l'Air et l'Espace, had been found to be in reality W.Nr. 120015 by the discovery of "a small, triangular sign on the rear fuselage bulkhead in front of the empennage".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1826

48. With the examination completed and the restoration well underway, in his article. "The Salamander in France - Part I", The Aeroplane, (April, 2006), Couderchon included this profile for 120015 "White 21[sic]".


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1827

49. This cropping of a photo that was taken at Ludwigslust in April 1945 shows an He 162 A-2 with the high demarcation pattern of the early 120xxx series with the dark upper camo on the fuselage only behind the canopy with none on the nose. Some authors report that this is "White 21"; W.Nr. 120016. However, if you compare the tone of the paint of the "21" to the white of the nose ring, it appears to be a shade darker. The last digit of the werknummer is difficult to read. This aircraft looks identical to the profile above.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1828

50. In "The Salamander in France - Part I", p. 66, Couderchon captions this photo as, "Heinkel 162 'White 21', WNr. 120015 of Stab I/JG 1, the future French No.2, at Ludwigslust in April 1945 ...". Note the identifying engine intake plug with its "21" and the lack of upper camo on the nose.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1829

51. In February 1946, five He 162s were sent to France fron Leck: W.Nrs. 120015, 120093, 120223, 310003 and 310005. I have yet to see a photo of W.Nr. 120015 at Leck. The "21" in the line-up on the right side has upper dark camo on the nose with the lower demarcation of later 120xxx series and is identified as W.Nr. 120221. However, there is secondary evidence that 120015 was at Leck. In this photo of Demuth's "Yellow 11; W.Nr. 120074, the engine intake plug is identical to that in the picture above.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1830

52. When Coudechon's team was finished its restoration of W.Nr.120015, this is was its interpretation of what it looked like, with the "21" in yellow rather than white. Note the engine intake plug.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Jim
It is no longer possible to view your initial posted photos
Only from post 17 can they be viewed

Something you can correct?

Cheers
Stig