ME262
The Collings Foundation is pleased to announce it has received the donation of the only flying Messerschmitt Me-262 in the United States by Mr. E. Louis Werner Jr. of Paradise Valley, AZ. Judge Werner’s vision to bring the world’s first operational jet fighter back to the skies has been a 14 yearlong dedicated effort. Judge Werner wished to share this aircraft that forever changed the face of aviation, with as many people as possible throughout the United States. Judge Werner’s generous donation to the Collings Foundation will allow millions of people to see, hear and fly in this one of a kind aviation icon. The aircraft will be joining the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour in 2009 at many locations. The Me-262 will be accompanying the B-17G Flying Fortress, the world’s only flying B-24J Liberator and TP-51C on national tour. We can’t think of a better addition to an already fantastic living history tour!
The Me-262 Schwalbe (swallow) represents one of the largest technological leaps in the history of aviation. The WWII fighter had a twin axial flow jet engine mounted under each swept wing with leading edge slats; a configuration that virtually every transport category jet currently utilizes. The Me-262 was a very advanced aircraft and had a considerable speed advantage over the allied straight wing piston aircraft. The Me-262 was a potent interceptor with unparalleled speed and a lethal punch of four 30mm cannons!
The American 8th and 15th Air Force and British Bomber Command had one surprise ally to keep their formations from being devastated by this lethal fighter. Adolf Hitler wanted the Me-262 to be a bomber, not a fighter. The aircraft had incredible speed, but a short range and very little payload capacity - in short it was not a bomber! Hitler’s closest advisors, such as Adolf Gallant, fought the decision but Hitler was slow to change his mind. Fortunately, by the time the aircraft was made operational as a fighter, the Allies had air superiority in Europe, allowing Mustangs the opportunity to take advantage of the Me-262’s “Achilles heel” which was its slow speed during takeoff and landing. The Me-262 had to slow down at some point to land and that was when the Mustang fighters could pounce on the helpless jet and score a victory. The Germans were aware of this vulnerability and had long-nose FW-190’s fly top cover for the Me-262 bases to discourage the allied fighters from taking out their most valuable weapon.
The Messerschmitt’s Jumo engines were technological marvels of their time. But, the German innovations that made this aircrafts design so dynamic were not perfected. Lack of high heat and stress resistant metal resulted in an engine that lasted a mere 15 hours between overhauls, and the fuel control unit was not responsive enough to cope with the rapid throttle movement needed for a dogfight. Rapid changes in power resulted in a compressor stall. The Me-262’s strength remained in speed. The Messerschmitt pilot would use the jet’s overwhelming speed advantage to come in fast, hit and run. Willy Messerschmitt created the original Me-262 design. Swept wings, automatic slats and modular construction are all examples of cutting edge technology introduced through this aircraft. Full production of the Me-262 did not start until 1944, too late to affect the outcome of the war.
In 1944 the Kommando Nowotny unit, named after its Commander, Major Walter Nowotny, became the first pure jet fighter unit. Major Nowotny was shot down and killed on November 8th, 1944. At that point, “Kommando” was withdrawn for further training in combat tactics. In Autumn of 1944, Gruppe 1 of KG51 became the first fighter-bomber unit equipped with the Me-262. By February, Lieutenant General Adolf Galland formed the fighter unit called the Jagdverban 44. This unit consisted of the most experienced and decorated Luftwaffe fighter pilots. By March 1944, Me-262 fighter units started to deliver large scale attacks on Allied bomber formations. On March 18th 1945, 37 Me-262s intercepted a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters. The Germans managed to shoot down 12 bombers and one fighter with the loss of three Me-262s. Equipped with the Jumo jet engine, the Me-262 possessed undesirable slow speed characteristics, which prohibited the fighter from low speed dogfighting with the Allied fighters. The standard attack approach started from the rear at a higher altitude. The jets would dive below the bombers to gain additional speed before climbing again to attack from beneath with their four 30mm cannons at the 600-meter range.
Allied bomber crews were fear-struck by this extremely fast “propeller-less” aircraft. Bomber gunners had a hard time tracking the jets due to their blinding speed. Targeting the Me-262 proved difficult since the jets closed into attack range very quickly and were in firing range for a very brief period. Allied fighting tactics to combat the Me-262 developed quickly and found ways to shoot down the jets despite their great speed advantage. Allied P-51 Mustang fighter escorts flew above the bombers and dove down on the attacking Me-262s, reducing the speed advantage. Despite their tremendous technological advancements, the Me-262 was too little too late to turn the war in Germany’s favor. Many Me-262s were easily destroyed on the ground or shot down as a result of poor pilot training, lack of fuel or support resources. Maintenance and production ground to a halt as a result of continuous Allied bombing campaigns. Roughly 1,430 Me-262s were built, although only 300 ever saw combat. Today, no original Me-262’s are left flying.
Aviation has been in the Werner families’ blood since the dawn of aviation. E.L. Werner Sr. was a Squadron Commander and Captain during WWI and flew the Curtis JN-4 “Jenny”. E. Louis Werner Jr. served in the Army and Army Reserves for 25 years, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. His first airplane ride was in a Ford Tri-Motor. This flight started his interest in aviation. In the early 1990’s Lou had a vision to recreate the legendary Me-262. In partnership with the Messerschmitt Foundation, the two worked corroboratively to create a continuation Me-262 that benefitted from more modern engines and safety upgrades while retaining the structure and construction techniques of the wartime Me-262. To authentically produce a Me-262 the Stormbird partnership used the US Navy’s own two seat Me-262, that had been retained since its capture in WWII. Meticulous reverse engineering was used to authentically recreate the design. After 14 years of labor, there are now two flying Me-262’s. A single seat 262 with the Messerschmitt Foundation and of course, Werner’s original trainer-configured aircraft is in the United States carrying an original continuation Work Number assigned by Messerschmitt. Lou Werner’s aircraft became known as “White 1” modeled after a Me-262 that served with Luftwaffe III / JG 6 during WWII. “White 1” is the result of many years of true grit and determination. It is an aircraft that is a faithful continuation, bringing the aircraft back from extinction.
The Werner Me-262 will now join the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour at select national locations. Flying the Me-262 with the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang will further put into context the German war ingenuity the Allied forces confronted. “Today, for most of us, it is inconceivable that America was ever in the position to lose WWII, but in truth it was never a slam dunk victory. We as a nation came to the brink of the abyss. The world could have been a very different place today if we as a nation didn’t come together and make huge sacrifices during the war. By having the US main bombers and the P-51 escort fighter together, we have been able to honor our WWII Veterans and educate the younger generations. Until now it has been difficult to show people that we really were the technological underdogs; the Me-262 certainly drives that point home!” says Rob Collings, Executive Director of the Collings Foundation. “We owe a great deal of thanks to Judge Werner for his magnificent contribution and his commitment and vision to see the project through from concept to completion. I don’t think that many of us can appreciate the imagination and determination Lou brought to the table to make this dream a reality - truly blood, sweat and tears”.
The Collings Foundation is excited to put this very generous donation from Judge E. Louis Werner Jr. to good use. In addition to flying with the national Wings of Freedom tour and attending air shows, the Collings Foundation will be offering the opportunity for private individuals to take part and fly in this legendary jet as part of the Messerschmitt Me-262 flight training program (certain pilot requirements may apply). This is a very rare chance pilots have to experience this legendary jet from the most thrilling vantage point, the cockpit! The Me-262 is a dual control aircraft. Holding true to “understanding through experience” - participants will be able to get some “stick time” in this incredible jet fighter. The Collings Foundation will also offer advanced programs in which you can fly in both the P-51 Mustang and Me-262 for the unparalleled perspective of a fighter pilot from both the Allied and Axis sides.