Heinkel He 162
| He 162A-2 | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Fighter | |
| Crew | one, pilot | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 9.05m | 29' 8" |
| Wingspan | 7.2m | 23' 7" |
| Height | 2.6m | 8' 6" |
| Wing area | 11.2m² | 120.5ft² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 1,663kg | 3,666 lb |
| Loaded | 1,758kg | 3,876 lb |
| Maximum take-off | 2,805 | 6,184 lb |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | 1x BMW 003E-1 or E-2 turbojet | |
| Power | 800kg | 1,764 lb |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 838km/h | 521 mph |
| Combat range | 975km | 606 miles |
| Ferry range | ||
| Service ceiling | 12,000m | 39,370ft |
| Rate of Climb | 594m/min | 1,950ft/min |
| Armament | ||
| Guns | 2x 20mm MG 151 | |
The Heinkel He 162 VolksjÃÂäger was the second jet engined fighter aircraft to be fielded by the Luftwaffe in WWII. It was a rival to the Messerschmitt Me 262 and was the fighter with the highest tactially useful Mach number of the first generation of Axis and Allied jets.
When the US 8th Air Force re-opened the bombing campaign on Germany in early 1944, the bombers returned to the skies along with the P-51 Mustang in escort. General der JÃÂäger Adolf Galland reasoned that superior numbers had to be countered with superior technology, and demanded production of jet fighters.
His favourite was the Messerschmitt Me 262, which even when employed in small numbers could be devastating to the bomber streams. Galland did in fact point out that he would prefer one jet over five propeller fighters. While the Me 262 was delayed due to development problems with the engines, which couldn't rely on high-quality alloys due to the scarcity of raw materials (especially tungsten), it met competition by a new line of jet fighters. Though Galland opposed the project which he felt was diverting resources away from the Me 262, a specification for a single-engined jet fighter that was suited for cheap and rapid mass production was established under the name VolksjÃÂäger ("People's Fighter"), and the Heinkel He 162 won the contract.
Heinkel had designed a neat, sporty-looking little aircraft, with a sleek streamlined fuselage, the BMW 003 engine carried in a nacelle on the back of the aircraft, twin tailfins to allow the vertical tailplanes to clear the jet exhaust, a high-mounted straight wing with a shallow dihedral, an ejection seat for the pilot and tricycle landing gear that retracted into the fuselage. The plane was flying in an astoundingly short period of time; the design was chosen on 25 September and first flew on December 6th, less than 90 days later.
The He 162 suffered a setback when one of the planes crashed during a demonstration flight when one of the wooden wings failed. Though the He 162 was improved on subsequently, it still was troublesome with regard to lateral control in low-speed flight, and was restricted in the amount of permissable rudder input in this part of the flight envelope.
By that time any hope of having the aircraft in widespread use was somewhat pointless, as the war was clearly drawing to a close. Nevertheless the ambitious production program continued and 300 were complete by the war's end, with another 100 ready for delivery. Only one gruppen had completely re-formed with the He 162 in late April, and they claimed two or three planes in combat before their base was taken over by the British in early May.
VolksjÃÂäger was the RLM name given to the He 162. Other names given to the plane include Salamander, which was its codename, and Spatz (sparrow) which was the name given to the plane by Heinkel.
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