20.05.2010, 01:10
OMG! HE-280!!! 
The worlds FIRST Jet Fighter!!!
Still eagerly awaiting the He-178, The worlds FIRST practical Aircraft to fly only on Jet power!
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft ... aft_id=220
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_280
![[Image: t150_01.gif]](http://www1.mahoroba.ne.jp/~ple/t150_01.gif)
Ernst Heinkel and Hans von Ohain developed the world's first jet fighter, the He280, which flew on April 2nd, 1941. The He280 was capable of a maximum speed of 508mph. Allied fighters at that time were about 150mph slower. Even the P51D fighter which became available in late 1943 was only capable of 437mph.
Early jet engines such as the HeS8 produced only about 1,100 lbs of thrust each. Heinkel cleverly designed a jet fighter with a small airframe. The maximum weight of the He280 was 9,470 lbs compared to 15,720 lbs for the Me262 (which did not get an adequate thrust engine until late 1944).
The Allies did not produce a worthwhile jet fighter until the Lockheed P80 in May 1945. The early Gloster Meteors and the XP-59 were slower than piston-engined fighters of the time.
He280 Jet Fighter
The fastest fighter in 1941 was the FW190 with a maximum speed just under 400mph. A contest flight in 1941 comparing an He280 with a FW190 had the He280 completing four laps of an oval course before the FW190 could complete three. Ernst Heinkel designed a smaller jet fighter airframe for the He280 that was well-matched to the the lower thrust jet engines available in 1941. The He280 could have gone into production by late 1941 and maintained the air superiority, which the FW190 had established and filled the gap between the FW190 and Me262. Initial problems with the HeS 8 engine would have likely been ironed out as production of the fighter began.
Some of the resistance to the He280 would make little sense today. The tricycle landing gear was considered too frail for grass or dirt airfields which were common at the time especially in Russia and North Africa. The Me262 was originally designed as a tail-dragger, but this configuration makes it difficult for a jet to become airborne. Test pilots had to tap on the brakes to get the Me262 tail off the ground while trying to take off. The Me262 was redesigned with tricycle landing gear.
One benefit of the He280 which impressed the political leadership was the fact that the jet engines could burn kerosene, which requires much less expense and refining than the high octane fuel used by piston-engined aircraft. The He280 might have been more easily "sold" if Heinkel stressed the possibility of using it as an attack aircraft for anti-shipping. While the R4M rockets were not available until 1944, the Germans did develop the Nebelwerfer in 1941, which was a recoilless 150mm artillery piece. These tubes could have been mounted underneath the wings of a jet. German pilots complained that bombs dropped by the Me262 had little chance of hitting their targets. A forward-firing recoilless weapon would have been much more effective.
The worlds FIRST Jet Fighter!!! Still eagerly awaiting the He-178, The worlds FIRST practical Aircraft to fly only on Jet power!
http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft ... aft_id=220
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_280
Ernst Heinkel and Hans von Ohain developed the world's first jet fighter, the He280, which flew on April 2nd, 1941. The He280 was capable of a maximum speed of 508mph. Allied fighters at that time were about 150mph slower. Even the P51D fighter which became available in late 1943 was only capable of 437mph.
Early jet engines such as the HeS8 produced only about 1,100 lbs of thrust each. Heinkel cleverly designed a jet fighter with a small airframe. The maximum weight of the He280 was 9,470 lbs compared to 15,720 lbs for the Me262 (which did not get an adequate thrust engine until late 1944).
The Allies did not produce a worthwhile jet fighter until the Lockheed P80 in May 1945. The early Gloster Meteors and the XP-59 were slower than piston-engined fighters of the time.
He280 Jet Fighter
The fastest fighter in 1941 was the FW190 with a maximum speed just under 400mph. A contest flight in 1941 comparing an He280 with a FW190 had the He280 completing four laps of an oval course before the FW190 could complete three. Ernst Heinkel designed a smaller jet fighter airframe for the He280 that was well-matched to the the lower thrust jet engines available in 1941. The He280 could have gone into production by late 1941 and maintained the air superiority, which the FW190 had established and filled the gap between the FW190 and Me262. Initial problems with the HeS 8 engine would have likely been ironed out as production of the fighter began.
Some of the resistance to the He280 would make little sense today. The tricycle landing gear was considered too frail for grass or dirt airfields which were common at the time especially in Russia and North Africa. The Me262 was originally designed as a tail-dragger, but this configuration makes it difficult for a jet to become airborne. Test pilots had to tap on the brakes to get the Me262 tail off the ground while trying to take off. The Me262 was redesigned with tricycle landing gear.
One benefit of the He280 which impressed the political leadership was the fact that the jet engines could burn kerosene, which requires much less expense and refining than the high octane fuel used by piston-engined aircraft. The He280 might have been more easily "sold" if Heinkel stressed the possibility of using it as an attack aircraft for anti-shipping. While the R4M rockets were not available until 1944, the Germans did develop the Nebelwerfer in 1941, which was a recoilless 150mm artillery piece. These tubes could have been mounted underneath the wings of a jet. German pilots complained that bombs dropped by the Me262 had little chance of hitting their targets. A forward-firing recoilless weapon would have been much more effective.