24.11.2012, 02:15
Luftwaffe Aircraft Concepts
24.11.2012, 07:25
There is a certain mystique to the Luftwaffe that never was. That's the problem though, much of it was imaginary and so many of these projects were no more than paper doodles with no more chance of completion than winning the war. If you study Germany's development history they tended toward clever technological answers to problems but suffered interminable problems with technological issues. Much of their aircraft developent, even the saner and more conventional kind, never made it because they were unable to iron out the problems.
Worse still was the politics involved. Many of these companies wanted to produce their own designs, not other peoples as often happened, and convincing the RLM that their new project was viable required a good deal of political fettling. For instance, without succeeding in getting Ernst Udet to support the project, Messerschmitt's Bf109 would not have been chosen over Heinke'ls He112 regardless of the aeroplanes actual qualities. This was made worse in the late war partly because of the emergency situation, but not least the shortages of materials and productive industry.
Whilst it's fascinating to see what German aeroplane designers were thinking of, most of these designs were nothing more than pipe-dreams.
Worse still was the politics involved. Many of these companies wanted to produce their own designs, not other peoples as often happened, and convincing the RLM that their new project was viable required a good deal of political fettling. For instance, without succeeding in getting Ernst Udet to support the project, Messerschmitt's Bf109 would not have been chosen over Heinke'ls He112 regardless of the aeroplanes actual qualities. This was made worse in the late war partly because of the emergency situation, but not least the shortages of materials and productive industry.
Whilst it's fascinating to see what German aeroplane designers were thinking of, most of these designs were nothing more than pipe-dreams.
25.11.2012, 00:59
caldrail,
That is all true.
It is obvious that at the beginning and early war years, the brains, experience, technology, and industry were there to accomplish any one of the practical advanced airplane concepts. As you made clear, the will on the other hand was subject to many disruptive factors. The blunders of almost all the top leadership in Germany made new programs nearly impossible to be successful in turning the course of the war. An obvious example was to divert huge labor and resources to the "V" weapons programs instead of more effort in defense of Allied bombing. Another one is the year and a half delay of the first jet interceptor directly because of Hitler's leadership. Jets could have been delivered in large numbers in 1943 at exactly the time when daylight bombing was paused several times because of severe Allied losses.
However, total industrial capacity was actually increasing well into 1944 in German controlled areas before it began to decline after a few months in that year. It is fascinating and alarming to see what might have been if Nazi decisions were ideal for program development instead of blundering. :OO
Clinton
That is all true.
It is obvious that at the beginning and early war years, the brains, experience, technology, and industry were there to accomplish any one of the practical advanced airplane concepts. As you made clear, the will on the other hand was subject to many disruptive factors. The blunders of almost all the top leadership in Germany made new programs nearly impossible to be successful in turning the course of the war. An obvious example was to divert huge labor and resources to the "V" weapons programs instead of more effort in defense of Allied bombing. Another one is the year and a half delay of the first jet interceptor directly because of Hitler's leadership. Jets could have been delivered in large numbers in 1943 at exactly the time when daylight bombing was paused several times because of severe Allied losses.
However, total industrial capacity was actually increasing well into 1944 in German controlled areas before it began to decline after a few months in that year. It is fascinating and alarming to see what might have been if Nazi decisions were ideal for program development instead of blundering. :OO
Clinton
25.11.2012, 13:33
Well, if you permit me an optimistic thought, I'd say this is possibly the main barrier preventing the world from falling under an orwellian "global regime"...
Such is man's nature, that no kind of human activity is free from contrasts, rivalry, envy, and struggles for internal supremacy. The higher the stakes, the stronger the struggles, thus mining the organization from the inside.
Just look at the daily show played by local political parties, whose members would do virtually anything to grant themselves even the tiniest bit of power/benefit. Then, multiply that for a "secret society" plotting for world domination... everybody would be backstabbing everybody at anytime.
Such is man's nature, that no kind of human activity is free from contrasts, rivalry, envy, and struggles for internal supremacy. The higher the stakes, the stronger the struggles, thus mining the organization from the inside.
Just look at the daily show played by local political parties, whose members would do virtually anything to grant themselves even the tiniest bit of power/benefit. Then, multiply that for a "secret society" plotting for world domination... everybody would be backstabbing everybody at anytime.
30.11.2012, 06:18
Relax. The Orwellian dream is impossible because human nature doesn't allow it. In any group of people you will find the majority cooperate. Once you begin to increase beyond a certain size, the group will no longer satisfy everyone and some will want to break away. I don't know if you've noticed, but in this era of globalisation there are more existing countries and demands for autonomy than ever.
30.11.2012, 13:30
Yes, many people are beginning to rebel against globalization because their self-determination is infringed.
Clinton
Clinton
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)