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.