how high does the 262 go?

[matt72078]

Was wondering what the ceiling for the ME 262 is.  Every time i chase high BUFF's i seem to top out at 30k, and the bombers are at 35k. 

[Midway]

Was wondering what the ceiling for the ME 262 is.  Every time i chase high BUFF's i seem to top out at 30k, and the bombers are at 35k.  

Take the TA152... it likes 35k... and it can catch B29s.

[Lusche]

First, you are having some pretty bad luck, as even among high altitude buff sorties 35k is very rare.

Now to your question:
Flying a Me 262 get's difficult above 25. For most purposes & player skill levels, 30k is indeed the practical limit. You can nurse a 262 up to about 35k, but that takes a lot of patience and very skillful flying, using repeated zoom climbs. Your maneuverability options will be almost nil up there.

[RedBull1]

I never take a 262 above 15K, and thats when I zoom climb up to someone climbing for a belly shot, generally I level at 8K and never go above otherwise, so in other words I have no friken clue 

[Tracerfi]

I never take a 262 above 15K, and thats when I zoom climb up to someone climbing for a belly shot, generally I level at 8K and never go above otherwise, so in other words I have no friken clue 

man you just made my day

[Butcher]

I agree with redbull,
Last few dozen sorties I rarely have a 262 above 15k, one scenario I did have a 262 at 28-30k it performs quite well up there especially dogfighting late war aircraft.

However in a normal Late War setting, I am never above 7-12k.

[JOACH1M]

man you just made my day

What was so funny?

[Tank-Ace]

Why does the 262 not preform well at altitude? Just too high a wing loading, like the 190, or do the engines not like the thin air?

[Butcher]

Why does the 262 not preform well at altitude? Just too high a wing loading, like the 190, or do the engines not like the thin air?

262 starts getting dicey above 20k, where some late war piston engine fighters actually gain an advantage from acceleration and climb rate as well as speed. Late war aircraft like the Spit 14 and P51 can give you rather a problem at this alt.

Its climb rate drops off, as well as speed - if you are not careful you can easily get "caught". I was in a gaggle of 38s, 51s and 47s at 28k in a scenario - you do have the advantage of speed which is the only thing I had, then again when a flight of Spit 14's showed up I bugged out rather quick.

Below 20k the Me 262 has all the cards in every way, although it gets tougher really when you go above 15k, below 15k the Me262 is rather invisible if flown correctly.

On the deck it should not be shot down unless it gets bounced.

[bangsbox]

what was normal bomb alt for 17 when 262s were around (time period wise).

[Charge]

"Why does the 262 not preform well at altitude? Just too high a wing loading, like the 190, or do the engines not like the thin air?"

I'd say that the engines simply could not generate enough thrust at those altitudes as there were already compromises made in their design between thrust generation and mechanical endurance. By this I mean that while they probably could have made a jet engine that performed well at altitude there was no materials to make such engine in large quantities.

Essentially making the turbine either larger or making it turn faster would have produced the same problems as the engines were already experiencing, which was metal fatique in exhaust turbine. A common procedure for 262 drivers was to listen to engines while they were idle after normal flight and if there was a scraping sound from the engine it had to be changed.

-C+

[4Prop]

Ive gotten to 31k and was very unstable

[icepac]

I ran into one over bish strats last night while in a yak9 at 35k.

He immediately dove to hug the ack of the city.

I had to juke to avoid puffy ack but was gaining on him by flying at super high speed and a shallow dive at high altitudes but he got to the safety of the ack and down to the altitude that a yak9 can't catch a 262.