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Author Topic: Me 262 First Flight!  (Read 537 times)

Offline CMC Airboss

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Me 262 First Flight!
« on: December 20, 2002, 11:02:02 PM »
Classic Fighters flew their newly built Me 262 for the first time today, December 20th, 2002.  The aircraft took off to the North at approx. 2pm, PST from Paine Airfield in WA.  Wolfgang Czazia was at the controls with Bud Granley in the L-39 chase plane.  The entire flight was done at 140 knots with the landing gear down.  General handling was tested North of the Everett area as well as in the pattern at Paine field.  The Me 262 flew one low approach to the South and pulled back around to pattern altitude into the low afternoon sun.  The final approach to landing was again made to the South and culminated with two satisfying smoke plumes from the tires.

The aircraft was not overly loud when compared to the T-38 whose engines it shares (J-85's).  It did not have the characteristic high pitched whine that the T-37 exhibits.  Just the  solid low growl of a small turbojet.  The engines were nearly smokeless.

Czazia was heard to comment after the flight that the control forces were "a little heavy."  He celebrated the first flight with the Classic Fighters crew by showering them with a well-shaken magnum of champagne.

Truly an historical day!!

MiG
« Last Edit: December 20, 2002, 11:17:44 PM by CMC Airboss »
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Offline VOR

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2002, 11:08:01 PM »
This is really neat! I hope we see more warbirds take to the skies in the next few years.
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Offline Dowding

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2002, 06:13:57 AM »
It doesn't have the original engines? I guess they would be impossibly expensive to maintain.
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Offline GRUNHERZ

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2002, 06:51:39 AM »
Well you would have to replace them every 10-20 hours, they make no power, weigh too much, consume too much fuel and all around behave like they are 65 year old first generation of a complex revolutionary technology. Not to mention there are only one or two in the world that can possibly even fire up. :D
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Offline gofastrlt

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AWSOME!
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2002, 07:06:48 AM »
That is an awsome achievment! I checked out the web site yesterday. It really is COOL. Does it have ABs?

Hey CMC Airboss, it won't have the same high pitched whine as a T-37 because it's not the same engine. The T-37 is powered by a P&W J-69 that has a centrifugal compressor that makes that "tweet" sound.
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Offline davidpt40

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2002, 07:24:32 AM »
Control forces were probably heavy due to flying around at 140knts with gear down!  What does he think hes flying, a N1K-2?
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Offline ZENMS

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2002, 08:24:48 AM »
Heh..heh.. that was a great play by play! I can't believe nobody complimented you on it! er.. til me's!

I think the J-85's were a great idea. Ample spare parts, still used, and GE continues it's support for them.

I never really thought they were that loud though in a T-38.... ! But then again, after working on F-16's, B-52', and a good number of other airplanes the Air Force has flown I imagine my hearing is off!

Keep us posted!

Z
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Offline eagl

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2002, 09:21:09 AM »
According to my sources (USAF), the T-37 noise is caused more by the inlet shape than the engine itself.  There was a proposal for a modified inlet that would have cost approximately $100 per plane 20 years ago, but the USAF said that we wouldn't be using the T-37 long enough for it to pay off.
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Offline Dago

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2002, 09:44:24 AM »
Hey Eagl, I heard a couple tweeties banged against each other yesterday. I think you need to get back on duty soon and keep them young'uns under your watchful eye!

Hows the recovery doing?

dago
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Offline ZENMS

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2002, 09:55:34 AM »
Heh..heh... that would have been a bargain!

We are putting new inlet nacelles on our T-38's, as well as an ejector mod! The inlets are larger, allowing our pilots added safety when taking off in a high heat low humidity enviroment. If something were to go wrong on take off (lose an engine), they can safely land. The ejectors get them a little more "push" and increase the range a little.
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Offline gofastrlt

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2002, 11:23:42 AM »
eagl,  You're probably correct about the noise being generated more by the inlet than the engine.  Do the A-37's make that same whistle noise as T-37's?

20 years ago huh? That's about how long it's been. Could be why I can't remember.

I heard those two tweets were from Sheppard, got some old squad mates still workin down there. Also heard report that the crews survive, hope that's true.


Gofast and turn left with GAS Racing #99
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Offline CMC Airboss

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Re: AWSOME!
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2002, 11:26:14 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by gofastrlt
That is an awsome achievment! I checked out the web site yesterday. It really is COOL. Does it have ABs?

No afterburners on this airplane.  In fact, there is a stiff spring in the throttle mechanisms that prevent achieving full power from the J-85's unless the pilots really needs it (like takeoff).  With nearly double the thrust of the original engines, overstressing the airframe is a possibility they want to avoid.  They've estimated that it will go well over the redline speed of 540mph.  

MiG
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Offline eagl

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Me 262 First Flight!
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2002, 04:02:09 PM »
There were no fatalities with the T-37 midair near Sheppard last Friday.  Two pilots ejected safely, two landed in their badly damaged aircraft.  

The T-38C is supposed to get a few nice to have upgrades.  HUD, digital cockpit, some other stuff.  I'll never see it though...  I should be back in the F-15E by mid-2003 if my back ever gets fixed.

They came up with a new fuel control unit for the T-37 that reduces idle to mil spoolup time from 12-14 seconds to 5-8.  It's a great modification, and of course we haven't seen any of them installed following the test program...  Ah well.
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