• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

WW II aircraft musing

Drone

Drone

Fleet Captain
Fleet Captain
Just trawling for some thoughts on a couple of questions. Did any of the combatants produce as dangerous, i.e. a death trap, craft as the ME 163B? Also, with a faster production history and more time left in the conflict, how devastating a weapon might the AR 234 turned out to be? I've read that it was the fastest operational jet aircraft in the war and that there were visions, perhaps fanciful, of it being used in attacks on the U.S.

Comments?
 
As the AR 234 was already overweight and had to rely on landing skids, the addition of drop tanks to extend its range would probably preclude it being able to carry any significant bomb load across the Atlantic unless it were a one-way trip. The Germans might have had more success extending the range of the V-2 or using submarine launch (Prüfstand XII). Although the V-2's accuracy wasn't great, a successful attack would have had a significant propaganda effect -- probably deepening the resolve of the US to finish off the Nazis or even to drop an A bomb on Berlin. However, Operation Teardrop would probably have intercepted the submarine before the attack could be launched.
 
Not exactly death traps but early Soviet LaGG-3 and American P-39 qualify for aircraft that were pretty dangerous for their users.

LaGG was underpowered and difficult to control and almost completely inferior to German fighters at the time. Pilots nicknamed it lakirovanny garantirovanny grob, a varnished guaranteed coffin.

P-39 had mid-mounted engine, which also had only a single-speed supercharger. That meant that the plane's centre of gravity was way too aft and resulted in irrecoverable flat spins, in the worst case scenario, if the pilot wasn't careful. Single-speed supercharger caused the plane to have abysmal performance above 12 000 feet. Also, the propeller shaft actually ran below the pilot seat and between the pilot's legs. It caused some worry that the shaft might snap during a belly landing. Both British and Americans hated the thing and sent their p-39s to the Soviet Union as lend-lease aid. Funnily enough, Russians loved the plane.
 
Retu said:
.

P-39 had mid-mounted engine, which also had only a single-speed supercharger. That meant that the plane's centre of gravity was way too aft and resulted in irrecoverable flat spins, in the worst case scenario, if the pilot wasn't careful. Single-speed supercharger caused the plane to have abysmal performance above 12 000 feet. Also, the propeller shaft actually ran below the pilot seat and between the pilot's legs. It caused some worry that the shaft might snap during a belly landing. Both British and Americans hated the thing and sent their p-39s to the Soviet Union as lend-lease aid. Funnily enough, Russians loved the plane.
Click to expand...

Wasn't that due to a different style of combat on the Eastern Front? iirc the Russians used the P-39 as a ground attack aircraft where it's crap performance at attitude didn't matter.
 
Marc said:
Wasn't that due to a different style of combat on the Eastern Front? iirc the Russians used the P-39 as a ground attack aircraft where it's crap performance at attitude didn't matter.
Click to expand...

Different style, yes, since a lot of the German air effort was lower altitude ground support, but the Soviets used the P-39s primarily for air-to-air combat. It saw little use in the ground attack role.

Edit: I should have said little use on ground attack missions; of course if a fighter pilot spotted a target opportunity on the ground and had nothing better to do, he would go after it.
 
Last edited:
Another issue with the AR-234 going across the Atlantic - the early jet engines had VERY short running lives. They burned out quickly and had to be replaced often..
 
Asbo Zaprudder wrote
As the AR 234 was already overweight and had to rely on landing skids, the addition of drop tanks to extend its range would probably preclude it being able to carry any significant bomb load across the Atlantic unless it were a one-way trip. __________________

Hadn't that been replaced with a tricycle landing gear in the B variant? Also, the C variant replaced the Jumo engines with BMW units which greatly increased several measures of performance. I don't know what the range of the C would have been, but it would likely have substantially exceeded the B2's of slightly under 1000 miles. I don't believe any of the C's were actually ever fully constructed.
 
I also meant to ask for opinions on the HE 162, which after its ultimate role was sorted out and despite its truncated production time, was I believe seen as a rather formidable opponent to the Allies (albeit again for only a short time) and additionally a very favored design to fly for experienced pilots.

Anyone with interesting tidbits or more to contribute about this worthy, but ultimately, inconsequential production?
 
Drone said:
I also meant to ask for opinions on the HE 162, which after its ultimate role was sorted out and despite its truncated production time, was I believe seen as a rather formidable opponent to the Allies (albeit again for only a short time) and additionally a very favored design to fly for experienced pilots.

Anyone with interesting tidbits or more to contribute about this worthy, but ultimately, inconsequential production?
Click to expand...

Don't have any thoughts on the plane - just want to hold up my hand as having seen the one at the Air and Space Musem in Ottawa.
 
Do you know if that is supposed to be the only one left intact at this point?
 
Well, inexperienced ones anyway, of which there a ready supply at that point.
 
A lot of Luftwaffe personnel ended up fighting on foot in the Hürtgen Forest and Battle of the Bulge. I'm not sure if they would have preferred to have been burned to a crisp in a jet or rocket plane that they barely knew how to fly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top