First Flight After Year and A Half Rebuild

The much vaunted Me 262 project has taken to the air once again. Sounds unheard-of for many decades (except for the few test flights last year) are again being heard, but this time in the NW USA as the first of several replica Me 262s has been completed. This bird, named "White 1" has been rebuilt following a landing accident on its second flight, on January 17th, 2003.

In the last flight, Test pilot Wolf Czaia was uninjured during the landing mishap which involved the Me 262 going off the runway and into the boonies alongside the runway. Damage was said to be "extensive" and required a year and half of rebuild work before getting airborne once again.

Things are going much better this time around, though. A report forwarded to us by ANN Reader Gordon Page notes that, "It finally happened. The Me 262 has it's third flight in the morning (6/29/04)and everything went great. The gear was locked down with external sleeves that had crushable pins on one end. This way one would know if the gear tried to unlock. So far, so good. There will probably be a couple of more gear down flights/landings before going for gear retraction."

Gordon also reports that there are still three Me 262 airframes that are 75% completed, waiting for a purchaser to choose engines and avionics. If interested, check with Gordon at www.airassets.com.

FMI: Me262Project@juno.com, www.stormbirds.com, www.airassets.com