Looks like the LW had more planes than meets the eye

[Glasses]

 I've seen an amazing amount of different aircraft the LW had during the pre-war years an  during the end of the war, including the TA aircraft which has an amazing performace record .

 Besides the 190 and 109 what other single engine prop fighters flew for the LW during the war , and is the 410 a bomber/escort like the Ju-88 or was it strictly an offensive weapon?

[funked]

Me 109 and Fw 190 were the only single-engine prop fighters used by Luftwaffe fighter units during the war.  Some other types were produced but not deployed.

Me 410 is a much smaller aircraft than the Ju 88.  It was intended a Zerstorer, an offensive weapon - long-range escort fighter with ground attack capability.  But by the time it reached service, the Luftwaffe was forced into a defensive role, and the Me 410 was primarly used to defend the Reich from Allied bombers.

[Pongo]

Are you sure Funked...
The HE 100 was used in a certain sence.
The MC205 was used I believe.(and the 200?)
hmmm
The De520 as well....
The TA 152 is a Fw190 I suppose...
cant think of any others...

[gatt]

For a very short time the Luftwaffe (probably elements of JG77) flew some C.205Vs and tested some G.55 "Centauro" in Northern Italy (1944).
Italian pilots flew some captured D-520 as well.

Interesting thing, the LW wanted to build the G.55 in Germany. The fighter could mount the mighty DB603 engine (about 1,750hp), while the Bf109 could not. One prototype was built but heavy bomardments by USAAF stopped the program. Theoretical performance data of the DB603 engined G.55 (called G.56) were very good.

 


[This message has been edited by gatt (edited 05-10-2000).]

[Westy]

 An Italian pilot used a captured (rebuilt from soft landing) P-38G to shoot down a USAAF B17.
 The Germans had at least one copy of every fighter the Allies flew. Afaik they only used them for training and eval purposes. But they dud have several B-24's and B17's that they did use for clandestine and long range mission purposes. KG200 was the LW group.

-Westy

[funked]

I was thinking of German planes.  

He 100 did not reach operational status with the Luftwaffe.  Some were operated by Heinkel as a factory defence force but they did not see combat.

[VISCONTI]

I have read somewhere that 6 He100 of the 18 build were shot down by RAF pilots.
These He100 were confused whit He113 and the RAF pilots declared only He113 kills.

[PC]

Wonder what we would have seen if the USA was getting the crap kicked out of it?????

[funked]

He 113 did not exist - it was a designation used for some He 100D's which had been photographed with false unit markings to make the Allies think this fighter was production.  

He 100 was not ordered by the Luftwaffe, and did not serve with the Luftwaffe.  I have not seen any evidence that He 100's flew combat missions in any capacity.

I think the British fell for the hoax, and misidentified another type as the fictitious He 113.

It would be a fun plane to fly in a sim though.  It had significantly better climb and top speed performance than Bf 109E or F.

[This message has been edited by funked (edited 05-10-2000).]

[Westy]

 Funked, the H-100's were retained and used by Heinkel to defend thier own factories. The LW never utilised them, to the best of my knowlege - unless it was LW pilots flying them at the Heinkel factory.

-Westy

[lazs]

PC.... exactly!   Every half baked, half finished plane and armement combo ever dreamed about would have been shoved out the hangar and been instantly "in combat"....

There were also great planes that weren't rushed into combat because of a lack of need.   Perfect examples are F2G Corsairs and F8 Bearcats that tested and trained and languished in the States for months because there was no real urgent need for em.

OTOH, by the end, a LW pilot firing his luger out the side window of his Storch was considered a fighter plane that saw combat.  Any test flight by a new,half finished fighter design was turned into a combat flight the minute it rolled out of the hangar.
lazs