Mon, Jan 16, 2006
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.
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