p-51 vs me-262-is this possible?

Question

check out this picture- http://www.actionart.ca/wallpaper2/W%20BoltFromAbove%20A.jpg
Is this even possible? Can a p-51 catch up with the 262 long enough to shoot it down?

Answer 1

This not only could happen, it did.

While the Me262 is faster in top speed it didn't fly flat out all the time, so when they were cruising and even more so when taking off or landing, a P51 with a head of steam could run down an Me262 before he could accelerate and escape.

This is Robert P. Winks in Trusty Rusty taking out an Me262 from Schongau airdrome.

Here Robert describes the remarkable event:

“I was at 15,000 feet near Munich when I saw a plane doing slow rolls on the deck - it was an Me-262. He had been flying away from what I later learned was the Schöngau Airdrome. I dropped my wing gas tanks, and rolled over into an 80 degree dive with 5 degrees of diving flaps. He made a 180 degree turn and flew back toward me, just before I started my dive. I was diving at a point ahead of his aircraft, and I had to adjust my dive angle to about 60 degrees. I closed to within 500 yards above him, and scored multiple hits across, and on both sides of his canopy. It flamed at once, rolled over...and that is all I saw because I was going straight back to 15,000 feet of altitude. But, I had a problem. My engine was without power, it was windmilling! Ack Ack was coming up at me from all directions! The engine had no power!!!? I had dropped the wing auxiliary tanks (which I was using), without turning the gas selector switch onto the internal wing tanks! If I had a vapor-lock, which I probably had, my P-51 prop was turning so fast as a result of my near vertical dive, that it sucked it out and took-off for fifteen thousand feet of altitude, which we made back, toot-sweet!”

“Looking back, that fool mistake may have saved my life, that day! My engine was making no noise, on my way down! The Ack Ack crews didn't notice me until after I hit the Me262, and that gave me time to get away from them.”

“Richard Peterson followed me down, but he never told me that he drew any Ack Ack! Immediately after I hit the Me262, Pete said, "Good shootin'!" to me on the RTA. Anyway, all is well that end's well! Right?”

Answer 2

One big problem in evaluating the P-51 and P-38 is the mistaken view that the P-51 with drop tanks had a longer range than the P-38 with a drop tank. Charles Lindbergh, while working as an aviation consultant, advised the P-38 pilots to change their fuel mixture and propeller settings to get longer range. When they added a single 310 gallon fuel tank, the P-38s could fly missions lasting nine hours. They European P-38 squadrons never got the memo, and journalists regularly reported that the P-51 was our longest range fighter capable of flying six hour missions. In reality, there is no logical reason why the P-38 could not have done the same thing in Europe, even with the differences in weather. In fact, the Air Force decided the P-51 was their best plane and they did not provide the P-38 with appropriate drop tanks. Note also that P-38s flew in the Mediterranean theater where the weather was not dissimilar from that of the South Pacific, so those arguments don't make much sense. Remember too, that the P-38 mission that shot down Yamamoto was flown at approximately 50 feet off the water both to and from Bougainville, a mission that lasted longer than any P-51 mission in Europe. The P-38 ultimately shot down more enemy aircraft during the war than any other allied plane. Some people poopoo this, saying the Japanese planes were no match for the P-38s, but that was not true early in the war. As improvements were made, the P-38s could even turn with the Zeros.

Answer 3

Yes it's possible, in fact it did happen several times. If the 262 was just cruising it wasn't going any faster than a P-51, so the Mustang could have got him from above. Also, take off and landing was a very vulnerable time for the jets, several were shot down on final approach.

Answer 4

It is in these cases:
1- The Me is bleeding off energy, ie separating from a fight, while the -51's in a dive
2- The Me has just taken off/on approach; the greatest number of Me's were shot down in the pattern as a matter of fact
If the 262's in cruise/full mil there's no way the -51's going to catch him; the 262 was over 100mph faster in level flight

Answer 5

In a dive attack it is possible if the 262 wasn't aware. Same for p40s. They weren't fast but coild dive at subsonic speeds. If the 262 was in a turn the p51 can come at a better angle. Like a linebacker on a running back. It's about angles not overall speed.

Answer 6

Yes it is possible as the P51 will increase his speed as he is diving in to attack this happend a fair bit in WWII where P51 and other allied pilots would lie in wait for the 262 to be landing then they had the advantage over ther 262

Answer 7

It is possible.
The me-262 had a relatively short flight time. After they ran out of fuel they were sitting ducks.

Answer 8

What's even stranger is how some guys in Skyraiders were able to shoot down a Mig.

It all goes ta show ya that you shouldn't be wandering around in front of your adversary if he's armed.

Answer 9

Just as the picture depicts the pilot of the P51 has come up on the ME262 from above and slightly behind. This is a blind spot for the ME262 pilot. So not only is this possible, but it is a likely scenario even though the ME262 is faster. the odds are evened by the element of surprise.

Answer 10

I don't know if they can catch up. But they did shoot some of them down.