he 162 salamander

delcyros · 02-12-2006, 05:17 AM

nice article twitch!

Gnomey · 02-12-2006, 06:32 AM

Good post twitch.

Twitch · 02-12-2006, 12:53 PM

Thanks guys I write professionally, but on that topic that's the closest I've found to confirmed kills with the 162.

Henk · 02-12-2006, 12:58 PM

The pilots were mostly glider pilots who trained on the gliders and then had to fight in the real thing, that must have been not a good thing.

Great work Twitch.

Henk

FLYBOYJ · 02-12-2006, 11:09 PM

Actually training on a glider and jumping into a powered aircraft is the way to go. In a glider you become more coordinated. Jumping from gliders into a He-162?!? Hell that's a risky thought!!!

delcyros · 02-13-2006, 12:19 PM

From some points the glider behaves more like a jet than a pison engined plane: no torque, smooth maneuvering and so on...
However, none of the pilots to fly the Salamander was a Hitler Youth memeber or anyone less qualified. I believe the JG 400 should also overturn some He-162 but this plan was dropped. Interesting that the Me-163 pilots needed additional glider training.

Henk · 02-13-2006, 12:33 PM

Yep, if they first had a prop to practice in it would be OK but jumping from no powerd aircraft into a jet aircraft is insane!

Henk

me262 · 02-13-2006, 07:19 PM

FLYBOYJ · 02-13-2006, 08:22 PM

I've flown T-33s, L-29s and Fouga Magisters - they performed like early Jets - here's a rule of thumb...

They are hard to slow down and take a while to spool up - get behind one (low and slow) and you're dead!

For some one to jump into one of these from a sailplane without a structured syllabus that ensures some credible experience would almost be suicide...

delcyros · 02-14-2006, 05:37 AM

Most of the Luftwaffe Experten (Galland, Mölders) had glider experience. I can imagine that glider pilots without prop experiences wouldn´t try to haul the plane around and make rapid throttle setting changes like the others. Energy tactics can be deployed by them quickly as well, it already lies in the nature of gliding. It´s not suicide as long as they want to stay alive and engage only at favourable terms.
Of course, they still need extensive training and good leadership. The reported short conversion training times for He-162 pilots were all for pilots WITH flight and combat experience in prop driven planes.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 02-14-2006, 09:44 AM

Yeap because most of them were part of the pre Luftwaffe German Flying Club and they flew gliders in that.

Twitch · 02-14-2006, 09:51 AM

EVERY Luftwaffe pilot in service in 1940 had glider experience. It was THE aviation pass time of the 1930s. What's more, several aircraft designs were initially tested in glider form too.