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

[edwest2]

For what it's worth:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...ish-1939530087
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...rman-luftwaffe

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1033

195. Like other Messerschmitt test aircraft at Lechfeld, Me 262 V9 W.Nr. 130004 "VI+AD" was used for experimentation. In December 1944 it was modified as the Hochgeschwindigkeitsjäger der Stufe I [HG I] with a Rennkabine, a tail plane swept back 40 degrees and modified wing leading edges. This blurry screenshot probably shows the first flight of this "high speed fighter" with its streamlined canopy at Lechfeld on 17 January 1945. To study the aerodynamics in flight, both sides of the fuselage from the front of the cockpit to the rear of the balkenkreuz were soon painted a dark colour to use tufts of cotton to indicate air flow. The tail configuration would prove to be unsatisfactory.


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196. In this enlargement of the photo in #193, V9 "VI+AD" is seen parked in front and to the left of the Whizzers' hangar at Lechfeld, virtually intact and upright.


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197. After the Whizzers had left Lechfeld on 10 June 1945, their usefulness over, the spare Me 262s were towed behind the hangar to lay derelict over the next winter before being scrapped. Tipped up, "VI+AD" is seen here among them. The werknummer 500853 of white-surround "29" can be seen on the tail of the Me 262 to the left.


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198. Another view of V9 "VI+AD" among the derelicts, with possible cable damage at the balkenkreuz. Note that a standard canopy and tail plane are now seen on it.

[Dan O'Connell]

Thank you.

[Karoband]

You're welcome, Dan. There's more to come.

[Karoband]

On page 58 of Brown etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations, (JaPo, 2012), there is an aerial frontal view of the Whizzers' hangar showing most of the Me 262s that were used as spares along with the some of their identities. The exceptions were W.Nr.s 110956 and 113363 out of camera range to the left.

By chance I came across a short video segment that shows the situations of those on the left hand side of the hangar. Please excuse these very blurry screenshots that are taken from Wings of the Luftwaffe-Me-262. The brief sequence starts at 37:06. I include the following screenshots to illustrate the placement of the Me 262s on the left side.

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199. The cameraman is standing on the road in front of the Whizzers' hangar to the left of it and will pan through 90 degrees to the right. Seen here are Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr. 500539 white-surround "33", left, and Me 262 V10 W.Nr. 130005 "VI+AE" both on their noses. Out of camera range immediately to the left was Me 262 V11 170074 "V074" and further off were Me 262 A-1s W.Nr. 110956 white "17"+S and W.Nr. 113363.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1039

200. Panning right, two more Me 262s are seen about 30 meters from the front left corner of the hangar. Upright and with its engines intact is Me 262 V9 W.Nr. 130004 "VI+AD" and behind it is most likely Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 500005 white "14"+S also with its engines but tipped on its nose. Just coming into view at the right is the aircraft adjacent to W.Nr. 500539 "33", Me 262 C-1a W.Nr. 130186 "V186".


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201. This is a good view of the size of the hangar. Note that "V186" lacks its Jumo 004 engines and has an emergency rocket-fuel dumping pipe below its rear fuselage.


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202. After panning right, four Me 262s are seen lined up on the left side behind the road in front of the left side of the hangar. From left to right are Me 262 C-1a W.Nr. 130186 "V186", an unknown Me 262 with a high demarcation of its upper camouflage, Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 110526 white "15"+S of III./EJG 2 and finally Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr. 500853 white-surround "29" of III./EJG 2. Out of camera range to the right across the road from white "15"+S is a noseless W.Nr. 170303 "V303" sitting on its tail.

[Karoband]

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1042

203. This poor photo shows Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 500005 white "14"+S of III./EJG 2 in the winter of 1945-46. The trees are similar to those behind the Whizzers' hangar but so far I do not know its exact location. Note the angle of the barely visible, collapsed nosewheel strut. Other pictures show that the white "S" seen here on the port side is larger than that on the starboard.


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204. This screenshot shows the Me 262 C-1a W.Nr. 130186 "V186", the Heimatschützer I with a Walter HWK RII/211 rocket engine in the rear of the fuselage, being tested in late February or March 1945. The concept was a rocket boosted interceptor to high altitude. It too has an emergency rocket fuel jettison pipe under the rear fuselage. As we have seen, it was parked without Jumo 004 engines in front of the hangar. O'Connell, p. 40, says that "after the war the rear fuselage was examined by the RAF at RAE Farnborough." There is no sign of it behind the hangar.

[Karoband]

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205. After fuselage tests at Rechlin, this Me 262 A-1a was assigned to III./EJG 2 at Lechfeld as W.Nr. 110526 white "15"+S. It was found abandoned at Lechfeld at the end of April 1945 by American troops. If you look closely you will see that the upper tip of the hakenkreuz is missing. The nose also has a small white cap with a black ring behind it similar to that of W.Nr 111617 white "9" of III./EJG 2. The massive tent in the background is the same one seen behind the left side of the Whizzers' hangar in the picture on page 58 of Brown etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production....


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206. This is another look at the colour photo. Here, the tail of W.Nr. 500853 "29" can be seen above the port wing of the tipped up W.Nr. 130005. Above the starboard wing, the camouflage on white "15" stands out.

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207. In this photo, taken in the winter of 1945-46 behind the hangar, resting on its tail, the werknummer 110526 can be made out and the white-surround red "S" is clearly seen. Also the reason for the missing tip of the hakenkreuz turns out to be an unusual solid-coloured tail-tip on the port side, possibly the same shade and shape as that on in the port side of Me 262 B-1a W.Nr. 110639 "35" of III./EJG 2.

[Karoband]

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208. This photo shows white-surround "29" photo-recce Me 262 A-1a/U3 with damage to the base of its tail fin indicating that a wire cable had been used to drag it to this spot in front of the Whizzers' hangar to be cannibalized for parts. Its Junker Jumo 004 turbine engines are seen intact here. Note its missing hatch over the balkenkreuz giving access to the FuG 16 ZY apparatus used for Y-fuhrung.


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An enlargement of the right side of this photo of FW 190 white "40", which was facing the hangar, shows three Me 262s lined up on the left side. Nearest is "29" whose Jumo 004 engines are now missing. David E. Brown etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production & Arado Ar 234 Final Operations, (JaPo, 2012). p. 90, identifies "29" as W.Nr. 500853 with photographic evidence. Note that the Me 262 behind "29" is missing the top tip of its hakenkreuz on its port side.


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210. In all photographs of Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr. 500853 white-surround "29" showing it behind the hangar, it has suffered damage to the upper tip of its tail. Seen here in the winter of 1945-1946, it has been left to the elements. Beneath its port wing to the right is Me 262 A-1b W.Nr. 170078 "V078" with its uncamouflaged fuselage, wings and tail plane, but missing its rudder and upper fin.

[Karoband]

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211. These are photos which by their camo pattern are possibly of Me 262 A-2a W.Nr. 170303 before it became the second V7 and received the white "V303" on the nose that would indicate that it was a Messerschmitt test frame at Lechfeld. While lacking bomb racks at this stage, the single white gun rectangle indicated that there were only two MK 108 cannon and the upper gun ports had probably been faired over at the factory.


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212. By February 1945, W.Nr 170303 had become the second V7 and had the white "V303" on the nose, but had exchanged its tail unit for one of the experimental wooden ones with the distinctive black and white kaulquappe [tadpole] motif. Now with bomb racks, the single gun rectangle still indicated only two MK 108s but for some reason the upper gun ports were opened. At this time "V303" was testing the use of 1000 kg thrust booster rockets to help lift a 1000 kg dummy bomb into the air. An accident with these boosters on 28 February at Lechfeld ended the flying career of "V303". In May 1945 it was noseless and found on the left side in front of the Whizzers' hangar tipped on its tail across the road from white "15"+S.


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213. This is a view of the rear left corner of the hangar with white "17"+S parked parallel to the left side. Behind the nose of "17" many towed Me 262s lie derelict. Seen among them, tipped on its tail is "V303".


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214. As we have seen in #210, the top of W.Nr. 170078's fin was missing. This is where it went. While the werknummer on the mismatched tail fin reads "170078", it is attached to the fuselage of the noseless "V303". On page 82 of Brown, etal., Messerschmitt Me 262 Production ..., there is a photo of the mismatched airframe in full. I do not know when or why the tail tip was substituted. It does not have a kaulquappe pattern.