Me-262 arrives

Owen Miller · **Joined:** Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:28 pm **Posts:** 614

OK folks, a while back I asked where the two seat night fighter version of
the Me-262 was. Well, now she is in Pensacola at NNAM. She arrived at
1130 hours, the unloading and reassembly began. Below is a link to some
photos taken earlier today. When I can figure out how to upload the video
I'll add that as well.

Blue skies,
Owen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idr1tSsNlg0

http://community.webshots.com/album/578 ... ty&start=0

pikas · **Joined:** Sun May 20, 2007 10:12 pm **Posts:** 13

Thanks for those photos.
This 262 is not night fighter,she is a two seat trainer.
The only 262 night fighter left now is in South Africa .

DaveM2 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:22 pm

Thanks Owen.

Here is something I prepared earlier for a recent survivors article

Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1a, WNr.110639 ‘White 35’ of III./EJG.2

Allocated the call sign GM+UK this aircraft was probably converted to two-seater configuration by Blohm und Voss at Wenzendorf, with some further work possibly carried out by DLH at Staaken. Kurt Reuth made an acceptance flight in this trainer at Stade on 21st March during which the port engine failed, however Reuth made a further flight the following day. The jet was captured at Schleswig suggesting that it may have been a training aircraft for pilots of NJG 11 converting to the dual-seat Me 262 B-1a/U1 night fighter. After capture it was sent to the Americans at Lechfeld, being named '639' and 'Vera' by the 54th Air Disarmament Squadron. Renamed 'Willie' and '555', by Watson's Whizzers, it was flown at Lechfeld at least seven times by Karl Baur who took Watson and most of the US pilots up on familiarization flights. The aircraft was damaged due to nose gear failure while landing at Cherbourg, France on 6th July 1945, but was repaired by replacing the nose with another from Lechfeld. Shipped to the USA and transferred to the US Navy as ‘121448’ at Patuxent River Naval Air Station the aircraft was saved from destruction by a timely visit to Patuxent by NAS Willow Grove’s maintenance officer, David Ascher. It, along with several other rare aircraft, was transferred to outside display at Willow Grove. Unfortunately over the intervening decades it suffered from the elements, souvenir hunters and some ‘fanciful’ paint schemes! In 1993 the Navy agreed to allow ‘555’ to be used as a pattern aircraft for the new build machines being constructed by the ‘Me 262 Project’ on condition that it be restored in return. During restoration it was discovered that the replacement nose that had been installed at Cherbourg was equipped with a unique gun area heating system. The only 262 that had an experimental gun compartment heating installed was the tenth prototype ‘V10’, wk.nr. 130005.

12XU2A3X3 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:38 pm

sry vera, you were happy where you were

jcmranger · **Joined:** Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:18 pm **Posts:** 27

Thanks Dave for that complete history of the aircraft. Hope it gets as much interest at Pensacola as it did at the Wings of Freedom Museum. We hope to make a group trip down there when it gets on display. The navy has done a fine job keeping aviation history alive. Just wish they didn't have to do it with planes that were saved from the chopping block by others. We built our museum just for that plane but now we will put it to good use for other aircraft.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:03 am

Thanks for the photos Owen. I bet that turned some heads going down the road. :shock:

Best Regards
Robbie

tulsaboy · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:24 am

This is an honest question, not asked with agenda or perspective- it is from genuine puzzlement- how does the 262 help Pensacola perpetuate its core mission, which as I understand it is to tell the story of U.S. Naval Aviation? I am not a 262 scholar and so don't have much to go on, but I was a bit surprised that the Navy was interested in bringing the 262 to Pensacola. Why go to the trouble to spend money on that aircraft, when there are quite a few other U.S. Navy types that sorely need the attention? If someone has thoughts, I would be interested to hear them. Does anyone think that at some point, that 262 would be insanely valuable trade bait if an outside party had a missing piece of the Navy's history?

kevin

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:50 am

tulsaboy wrote:

This is an honest question, not asked with agenda or perspective- it is from genuine puzzlement- how does the 262 help Pensacola perpetuate its core mission, which as I understand it is to tell the story of U.S. Naval Aviation? I am not a 262 scholar and so don't have much to go on, but I was a bit surprised that the Navy was interested in bringing the 262 to Pensacola. Why go to the trouble to spend money on that aircraft, when there are quite a few other U.S. Navy types that sorely need the attention? If someone has thoughts, I would be interested to hear them. Does anyone think that at some point, that 262 would be insanely valuable trade bait if an outside party had a missing piece of the Navy's history?

kevin

Agreed. They also have a P-40B/C on display which sort of makes sense since its in the markings of a naval aviator but I think thats another example of an aircraft that Pensacola could loose to gain something that they may be missing.

Rauhbatz · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 11:32 am

Sort of the same question as "why does the NMUSAF have multiple F82s?"

Answer: increases current asset valuation and can be used for trades/sale later...

Didn't know the German navy was flying Me262s against Hellcats but maybe that will happen when Hollywood remakes "Midway"

DaveM2 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 2:37 pm

tulsaboy wrote:

This is an honest question, not asked with agenda or perspective- it is from genuine puzzlement- how does the 262 help Pensacola perpetuate its core mission, which as I understand it is to tell the story of U.S. Naval Aviation? I am not a 262 scholar and so don't have much to go on, but I was a bit surprised that the Navy was interested in bringing the 262 to Pensacola. Why go to the trouble to spend money on that aircraft, when there are quite a few other U.S. Navy types that sorely need the attention? If someone has thoughts, I would be interested to hear them. Does anyone think that at some point, that 262 would be insanely valuable trade bait if an outside party had a missing piece of the Navy's history?

kevin

The link to the aircraft and the USN is that it was allocated for testing by them, no doubt in order to further develop Navy jets that were being designed at the time, so relevant and part of Navy history in that sense at least. As for money being spent-not sure what the cost was to get it to Pensacola, but as to what else they have spent on it???? The restoration was done as part of an agreement with the company building the new examples, so didn't cost the Navy.
I agree that it was a sad day when it had to leave its home of 60 odd years, especially as it wasn't down to their foresight that it survived initially anyway.The Navy link to it is tenuous, but on the plus side I would think far more people will be able to see it now. With the imminent closing down of Willow, it seems the NNMA acted on previous plans to move the aircraft-no doubt the space being freed up with the new hangar about to be opened pushed it along a little as well. I seriously doubt it would ever be traded-its value is immense so what around today would make the Navy take that step, that isn't in the realms of fantasy, and that they are not already taking steps to acquire ( TBD-Birdcage F4U)?

DoraNineFan · **Joined:** Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:37 pm **Posts:** 673

Quote:

The link to the aircraft and the USN is that it was allocated for testing by them, no doubt in order to further develop Navy jets that were being designed at the time, so relevant and part of Navy history in that sense at least. As for money being spent-not sure what the cost was to get it to Pensacola, but as to what else they have spent on it???? The restoration was done as part of an agreement with the company building the new examples, so didn't cost the Navy.
I agree that it was a sad day when it had to leave its home of 60 odd years, especially as it wasn't down to their foresight that it survived initially anyway.The Navy link to it is tenuous, but on the plus side I would think far more people will be able to see it now. With the imminent closing down of Willow, it seems the NNMA acted on previous plans to move the aircraft-no doubt the space being freed up with the new hangar about to be opened pushed it along a little as well. I seriously doubt it would ever be traded-its value is immense so what around today would make the Navy take that step, that isn't in the realms of fantasy, and that they are not already taking steps to acquire ( TBD-Birdcage F4U)?

If Willow Grove is to be closed, perhaps the Navy will be kind enough to let somebody in there to dig up the Arado 234 that they buried there (or what little is left of it), along with any other hidden goodies that surface.

Django · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 3:51 pm

DaveM2 wrote:

I seriously doubt it would ever be traded-its value is immense so what around today would make the Navy take that step, that isn't in the realms of fantasy, and that they are not already taking steps to acquire ( TBD-Birdcage F4U)?

Another Japanese type(s) perhaps?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:14 pm

And the MoF @ KPAE has, and has had for 25 or more years, one of the twelve P-80's bailed to the NAVY as TV-1's back in the 40's. It's been in about half of half restored for two or more decades @ the Resto facility piled up in the middle of other piles of 'things' they will 'get to' one o these daze-Anyone seen a TV-1/P-80 anywhere @ Pepsicola?

jcmranger · **Joined:** Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:18 pm **Posts:** 27

Although Willow Grove the base may be leaving. The Wings of Freedom Museum part of the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Assoc. will be staying there and staying open.

Mr Widgeon · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 7:15 pm

One thing to consider here is that another of the NMNA's missions to be part of the new Naval Aviators training syllabus.
So it's possible (probable?) that the 262 was brought to Pensacola to be part of the history of the development of jet powered fighters, no more, no less.

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