Another hypothetical combat situation: P-80 Shooting Star versus Me-262. Hot guns and hot jets at 20,000 ft.

Question

Who wins in this test of two of the first operational combat jet fighters?

Let's assume pilots of approximately equal capacities, combat close enough to home bases that both fighters have sufficient fuel for a dogfight. Good weather.

Who wins?

Remember, first jet-to-jet combat was an F-80 (aka P-80) against a MIG-15 and the F-80 jock won.

Gentlemen, don your oxygen masks and start your engines!

Adding a few details: First all-jet dogfight between the F-80 and MIG-15. The MIG had better all-around performance than the Shooting Star. The reason the F-80 won was probably largely the result of better pilot skills.

Any fighter jock knows the way you win an air battle is to make the other guy fight your fight.

The F-80 was a comparatively heavy fighter, equipped with a speed brake that helped with deceleration, which could help in a dogfight, although most fighter pilots prefer not to use them if they can avoid it

262 had an advantage being lighter, which likely gave it somewhat quicker acceleration. Like most jets it was a fuel hog and had very limited range.

F-80 was able to extend its range with external fuel tanks.

Becky, I think both airplanes were pretty nice looking. But I agree with you on the shark look.

262 also had a disadvantage in that its controls were not power boosted and tended to be very stiff at higher speeds.

A serious limitation of the P-80, which was an operational problem in the later T-33, was the tendency of its Allison J33 engine to compressor stall in a high angle of attack situation. The earliest P-80s flew with the British Whittle engine and may not have matched the performance of later Allison-powered models.

Neither the Me-262 nor the P-80 were notably capable dogfighters, but the P-80 did have some advantages--i.e. speed, rate of climb, etc. The later F-80 models used in Korea proved excellent ground attack aircraft until replaced by the larger F-84 Thunderjets.

As far as I know the Junkers Jumo engines used on the Me-262 had only one drawback--they were fuel-thirsty and gave the fighter very limited range and time for combat.

Answer 1

Not even a contest with equal pilots.

P-80 top speed is 60mph faster,

P-80's climb rate is almost 700 feet per min faster.

And the p-80 service ceiling is 9,000 feet higher.

P-80 would just climb , get to the top faster and have all the advantage.

Answer 2

I dont' fit the gentleman part but I like hypothetical questions and love warbirds. I's go with the shooting star (P-80).
It is faster, both cruising speed and max speed. It has almost double the thrust which could get it into and out of trouble a lot faster. Higher ceiling and rate of climb.
The only real advantage the 262 would have are those huge 30mm cannons on some of the later models. Same caliber still used today by many military aircraft. If the 262 got in a couple good hits from range it might be fight.
As far as looks .... the Me 262 wins. I looks like a shark.

Answer 3

Except in individual cases the relative performance capabilities of the two aircraft are immaterial. The superior production capacity of the USA at this time meant that if the war had continued the air would have been literally flooded with P-80 s and the Me-262s would have been overwhelmed no matter how good they or their pilots were. After all the p-51s and p-47s along with the bombing were containing the German jets as it was. Just as the B-17s and B-24s overwhelmed the German air defenses with their sheer numbers so would have the P-80.

Answer 4

ok. sure, Yeager did shoot down a 262 in his P-fifty one. yet that dosnt make it a bad plane. the 262 that he shot down grew to become into touchdown and those early jets didnt spool up very rapid so the guy couldnt get away. ppl ought to do their reserch formerly the ignorently answer like that. at complete velocity a mustang couldnt come on the verge of crumple of catching the 262. The Me 262 and the P-80 have been fairly gently matched, so i think of that the consequence would have had to do greater with pilot ability the only of those plane. To undesirable this in no way happend in actual existence. that could have been an exceptionally exciting dogfight to evaluation.