AHC: the Volksjaeger for 1943 and on

NoMommsen

Donor
But you won't see jets with the range of a Mustang for some time.
A report on Heinkel jet engines development: here.
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Germany lost the chance to win the war in already in 1941.
With that said, jet fighters were notoriously short-legged until well into 1950s. In a scenario where WAllies that have jets in 1944, it will stil require piston-engined fighters to escort bombers beyond Belgium - not a very good proposal vs. 500+ mph opposition? Soviets will still be using 99% of piston engined fighters in 1944.
THX for the interesting link, btw
True enough.
Pls read the OP :
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sufficient for short-range air-defense job.
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  • range not needed !
 
The Salamander had a number of issues. The glues used to hold the airframe together were corrosive, so early examples had a bad habit of coming apart. The bigger issue is that despite the intention to create a fighter that could be flown by pilots with minimal training, but in practice it was a plane that needed a highly skilled pilot. Add to that the early jets were very vulnerable at takeoff and landing. By 1943 the Luftwaffe was looking to standardize its fighter production to maximize numbers, which was why a number of designs that were potentially better than the Bf109 didn't displace it.

Oh and if you want a radical piston engine option don't forget the Do335 'Pfeil'.

France seized half a dozen of He-162s in 1945 and flew a couple of them until 1948, to gather experience on jets. Well... they were bitch to fly. One crashed killing his pilot, the other survived and his shown at Le Bourget museum. The LW planned to fly some He-162 as gliders to train pilots without burning any fuel, and then they would fly He-162 with the jet. Well, the plan would have pleased the Japanese, excellent way to create kamikazes, really. A very efficient way of killing large number of nazis, very fast.
 
France seized half a dozen of He-162s in 1945 and flew a couple of them until 1948, to gather experience on jets. Well... they were bitch to fly. One crashed killing his pilot, the other survived and his shown at Le Bourget museum. The LW planned to fly some He-162 as gliders to train pilots without burning any fuel, and then they would fly He-162 with the jet. Well, the plan would have pleased the Japanese, excellent way to create kamikazes, really. A very efficient way of killing large number of nazis, very fast.

The British had some and flew them, one of theirs crashed killing the pilot. Eric 'Winkle" Brown flew it, said it was a good responsive fighter but definitely NOT for untrained pilots...
 
Why focus on the He-162. I think the Focke Wulf Flitzer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Flitzerxxxx remove xxxx) is a much better bet for an early basic Jet Fighter. It is an look-a-like of the real world succesfull dehaviland Vampire Jet Fighter.

Agree all the way.
He 162 was just one response for the OTL Volksjaeger program issued by RLM. The jet-propelled Me 163 will still be of 'classic' manufacture, that involves mostly riveting of metal parts, vs. glued wood employed extensively on the He 162.
 

SwampTiger

Banned
Didn't the Me 163 have wooden wings? If you want the Volksjaeger in 1943, you need to start design by 1941 at the latest. Sling two HeS 6 jets under the wings of the Fw 187? Add more fuel tankage. Flying by 1941.

I still like Lippisch's modification of the He 162 into the Li P.15 Diana. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippisch_P.15
 
Didn't the Me 163 have wooden wings? If you want the Volksjaeger in 1943, you need to start design by 1941 at the latest. Sling two HeS 6 jets under the wings of the Fw 187? Add more fuel tankage. Flying by 1941.

The start date is September 1939 for this ALT People's fighter.
Indeed, you are right that Komet have had wooden wings. Seems like they worked, though.

I still like Lippisch's modification of the He 162 into the Li P.15 Diana. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lippisch_P.15

Bingo.
 

SwampTiger

Banned
The Germans would learn about gun gas ingestion early, leading to some changes in gun position and/or inlet placement and design.
 
when the term Volksjaeger is used tend to envision one of the glider projects or Natter? something equipped with R4M rockets towed aloft, ignite solid fuel rocket(s) to approach the bombers, and then glide landing?

maybe a design that could later warrant the small Porsche jet.
 
If the pulse jet wasn't so destructive and could operate at higher altitudes it might have been worthwhile to build a cheap fighter around it...
 
If the pulse jet wasn't so destructive and could operate at higher altitudes it might have been worthwhile to build a cheap fighter around it...

they kept attempting, the Junkers EF-126 have some compelling features, but fatal flaw of pulse jet. have wondered if they could have launch a Volksjaeger with pulse jet instead of RATO, then the pulse jet is ejected and a strafing run (or two) powered by rocket? (meaning the vibration from pulse jet dampened enough to allow it to power a takeoff albeit not full operation?)

something akin to Zeppelin Rammer http://www.luft46.com/misc/zrammer.html , they really cannot train up pilots quickly to all aspects, but possibly to handle glider landings?
 

SwampTiger

Banned
...they really cannot train up pilots quickly to all aspects, but possibly to handle glider landings?

Which is why a Lippisch design would fit best. DFS 39D from 1937/38, developed into Me 163, came out of the Lippisch glider design family. It needs an engine, guns and proper undercarriage.
 
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