To Fly Over Germany 60 Years Later…

There is little question that the Me 262 was a stunning design triumph, and the influence of the plane can still be seen in contemporary combat aircraft. Swept wings, automatic slats, modular construction... all were leading advances for the time. More than any other aircraft of its day, the 262 was a fighter of absolutely unrivalled potential.

Still, despite this fortuitous blend of brilliance and chance, the Me 262 suffered from some well-known, and potentially catastrophic, weaknesses. The engines, landing gear and brakes were all decidedly failure-prone, and these systems often caused the losses that the Allies could not.

Without the efforts of a few historically minded entrepreneurs, it is possible that such birds might never have been seen again. However; as a result of the efforts of the ME262 Project, there are now two flying... and one has returned "home."

The second of five flying Me262s (TANGO TANGO) from the Me262 Project in Everett, WA, has completed a ride on a CargoLux 747 freighter jet from Seattle, WA to Luxembourgh. The Me262 will next be trucked to Manching, Germany for reassembly and flight testing. It was a bit of a challenge to get the proper paperwork in order for the historic shipment. Thanks goes out to Wayne Hammack of the Hammack Group for his efforts to acquire the proper paperwork to ship the “weapon of war” according to the US State Department.

Work continues on the third flying example of the Me262 which is nearing the mating of the completed wing to the fuselage.

FMI: www.warbirdrecovery.com