Best Nightfighter of WW2 (Continued)

[cheddar cheese]

The only sense that lanc makes are smelly ones

(Yes, I know the spelling for that sentence is scents, but you get my drift.)

[DAVIDICUS]

Heinkel He-219 Uhu

[Erich]

why the Uhu ?

[DAVIDICUS]

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero...einkel_219.htm

[mosquitoman]

It's the Mossie, that and the Beau defeated the blitz, it was also instrumental in removing the night-time threat to Malta

[Erich]

sorry DAvidicus but the Smithsonian article is bogus. The last production Heinkel 219 to serve on ops was the
A-2 variant. The A-5 , A-6 and A-7 never appeared. The operational record of I./NJG 1 flying the beast is at best dismal

[KraziKanuK]

Erich might shoot me down for this, but the top speed usually listed (416mph) for the 219 was for an a/c that had been cleaned up > no antenna, no exhaust shrouds, and some other stuff removed which I have forgotten.

[Erich]

KK no I think the Uhu was a pig and the a/c probably did 375 mph max loaded in the air.

[KraziKanuK]

KK no I think the Uhu was a pig and the a/c probably did 375 mph max loaded in the air.

Erich, I agree. I think you read my post wrong. The number given for top speed is bogus as the a/c would not be of much operational without any radar antenna, yes? Unshrouded exhausts would be like a shooting star in a night sky, yes?

[Erich]

not necessarily. I just think the top speed of 416 is a bit much with all the radar aerials and given the fact the Uhu was a pretty good sized twin engine for the Germans. the Ju 88G-6 could even top out at 400 mph if pushed....

[cheddar cheese]

Best NF I say P-61

[Erich]

in the Pacific only...........

[KraziKanuK]

not necessarily. I just think the top speed of 416 is a bit much with all the radar aerials and given the fact the Uhu was a pretty good sized twin engine for the Germans. the Ju 88G-6 could even top out at 400 mph if pushed....

Erich the nose was clean. Only the stubs were in place. The Mossie gained several mph when its exhaust shrouds were removed.

[DAVIDICUS]

I confess that I am unaware of the evidence disparaging the He-219.

What sources indicate that the He-219 was anything but a superb night fighter?

I think that the P-61C would have been a truly great night fighter but it never saw combat. I understand that the A and B versions were somewhat slow (370 mph).

[delcyros]

I agree, both, P-61C and He-219 were great nightfighters technically. But they also had little impact compared to the Mossie, the Me-110G and the Ju-88G. That is an important point, I belive. Even if they lack some speed and technical advantages, they managed to do the work over years pretty well. And the future belonged to jet driven nightfighters, anyway. I would vote for the Mossie, it proved to be reliable, it had excellent nightfighting capabilities, it was deployed in numbers and it stayed in front line use till the very end of ww2. I