Altittude effects on turning ability?

[Viking]

Me 262 is still a lot faster than the best P-47 at 30k. And a 262 would not be interested in fighting a P-47, only evading it to get to the bombers.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by Viking
Me 262 is still a lot faster than the best P-47 at 30k. And a 262 would not be interested in fighting a P-47, only evading it to get to the bombers.

Well, the problem for the Me 262 is that it takes a very long time to build that speed.

If you attempt to take a 262 off from a 30k field in the TA, you run off the end of the runway, with only about 70 mph IAS showing. That's all the speed it can build on the takeoff run.

On the other hand, the P-47 of airborne by mid field and climbing out at a pretty good rate.

If the 262 should burn some E off maneuvering at 30k and find itself at 350 mph TAS, it would be chased down very quickly by any of the P-47s, with the 476 mph N model being a major threat. The 262 driver would have no other option but to dive. This would effectively take the 262 out of the fight as it would take nearly forever to nurse it back up to 30k.

Frankly, 30k is simply too high for the 262 to be fun as it takes a very long time to get there (and uses much of its fuel to do so) and replacing speed requires diving. It just cannot fight at 30k, and is reduced to hit and run.

I'd rather fly the Ta 152H.

My regards,

Widewing

[Knegel]

Hi,

the 262 got high with speed. The climb speed of the 262 was close to or above Vmax of the jug. Climb speed was around 540km/h ias with the jumo engine, it had to be reduced for compressibility problems in higher altitudes and this compessibility problems was the main enemy of a 262 (once fast).

Furher more, the jet engine dont lose as much thrust with altitude like the propeller engine.

The Vmax of the 262 only is in rather low(between 5 and 6 km) altitude, cause the mach related problems, which increase with altitude, hinder the plane to fly faster up there.

In game all this might be different.

Greetings,

Knegel

[Angus]

Widewing,  - the 262 will on full power easily outdive any prop plane, - shallowly I mean. ?
Now I shall mention an engagement between pilots of 65 sqn RAF equipped with P51C's. One fine day, a 262 tried to fight them. (They were flying either sweep or escort). It didn't take long, - it was very high up, and the 262 made the mistake of trying to stay in a turn. P51 easily saddled behind and made a kill.
This is from an anecdote though and I would have to get some special "key's" to get to the source. But the incident, I belive, is true, and should be correct anyway, - power vs lift, wingloading, acceleration, and just a pair of seconds to think.
In short, the key for high altitude performance is "widewing", - wingloading and aerfoil, as well as power-to-weight.
POWER,WINGLOADING-SPANLOADING VS WEIGHT.