Some enlarged and 'tweaked' known photos of Me 262s

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1162

297. On 27 March 1945, the partly dismantled Me 262 A-2a W.Nr. 170312 was captured by GIs on the outskirts of Rhein-Main airfield. It had suffered 15% damage on 19 February when Hptm. Rolf Roßberg of 3./KG 51 rolled into a bomb crater while landing according to Jan Horn, Das Flurschaden Geschwader, p. 242.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1163

298. When first captured, it was tilted to its side due to the collapsed starboard landing gear. Note the single white gun rectangle but lack of bomb racks. There are no markings that indicate this was an aircraft of KG 51.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1164

299. In this photo, W.Nr. 170312 has been jacked-up and placed on three mobile braces. Note that both MK 108 cannon can be seen on the port side.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1165

300. In this colourised photo, the leading edge slat and root fairing of the port wing are noticeably missing.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1166

301. According to Dan O'Connell, Me 262 Production Log, p. 69: "It was then sent to Frankfurt and is believed to have been shipped back to the USA aboard Madawaska Victory as a source of spare parts for W.Nr. 111711...".

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by Karoband

300. In this colourised photo, the leading edge slat and root fairing of the port wing are noticeably missing.

And Clark Gable smoking his pipe ...

[Karoband]

Hi Franck,

And George C. Scott on the other side of the plane ...

[ouidjat]

Originally Posted by Karoband

Hi Franck,

And George C. Scott on the other side of the plane ...

Jim,

Don't you have the original picture instead of this colorized one? It is a Life magazine one....

[Karoband]

Originally Posted by ouidjat

Jim,

Don't you have the original picture instead of this colorized one? It is a Life magazine one....

No. I do have one of a poorer resolution. Thanks for the lead. I'll look for it.

[Dan O'Connell]

Great photos Jim, some I havn't seen.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1167

302. The airfield at München-Riem was captured by American forces on 30 April 1945. As there were many types of aircraft taken, a line-up of the various German aircraft was made. At the extreme right was an Me 262.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1168

303. Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 500516 was listed as being at the DLH facility at München-Riem on 26 April 1945. On p. 97 of Jagdverband 44 Squadron of Experten, Robert Forsyth speculates, "It is possible that this was the defective aircraft that 'Jupp' Dobnig was ordered to fly out of Munich on or around 28 April 1945." Dobnig was warned that it was not fit to fly and left it behind, taking a truck ride to Salzburg. You can barely see the scalloping pattern on the leading wing edge.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1169

304. A GI sits atop the port wing of W.Nr. 500516. The werknummer can just be made out in this photo. Note the filled-in bomb craters.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1170

305. The "giraffe"-style camouflage of large splotches of RLM 83 over RLM 82 can be seen in this view. Note the dent in the bottom of the rudder indicating a takeoff incident.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1171

306. Eventually, W.Nr. 500516 was dragged to the Riem dump and piled with the other German aircraft before being scrapped.

[Dan O'Connell]

At least 5 Me262 shown in photo 306

[David E. Brown]

Jim,

Photo 305: This is certainly a late 500xxx machine but not WNr.500516. Compare the upper/lower surface demarcation line on the outer rear portion of the port Jumo 003 engine. We so far do not know this particular machine’s location or Werknummer. Other photos reveal that WNr.500516 ended up close to the easternmost building / hanger at München-Riem. Indeed, was very close to the JV 44 Fw 190 D-11 “Red 4” WNr.220010 and captured in a colour photograph.

Photo 306: This is another late 500xxx series aircraft but not WNr.500516. It is one of a group of over a dozen Me 262s from this Werknummerserie discarded at the extreme eastern end of the München-Riem aircraft dump. Unfortunately, except for one machine (WNr.500517), all show only their starboard sides. The Werknummern for this late series were applied only on the port side of the fin close to the leading edge and just above the stabilizers, and the characters very tight to each other.

Camouflage of these late 500xxx series Me 262s was a lightly-applied overall coat or RLM 82 (Hellgrün) followed with large spots of RLM 81 (Braunviolet) on the fuselage, and in the ‘standard’ pattern on the wings. Except for control surfaces, undersides were left mostly in natural metal. The nose component and engine nacelles did have an application of RLM 76 on their undersides.

Best,

David

[Karoband]

Hi David,

Thank you for the correction. I agree that while the demarcation line between the upper and lower camouflage on the port engine nacelle in photo #305 is crisp, that in # 306 is graduated. What misled me was the light coloured rectangle at the root of the dropped outer flap in both pictures.

best regards,

Jim