Some more info here:
http://www.ww2f.com/topic/691-me-262-vs-p-51/
Just something I happened upon while wondering about the early encounters of US fighter planes with the ME-262.
Since the ME-262 had a 100 mph speed advantage over the P-51 in level flight, the US pilots had to be very careful about how to engage. Mostly they tried to attack the ME-262s around their own airfields, during takeoffs or landings, when they were highly vulnerable.
That’s nothing. Buck Dharma and Blue Oyster Cult did that in 1875...and they didn’t use a cowbell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRdz3p5Voc
bfl
Chuck Yeager is still living! What a guy!
I read chucks 2 autobiographies ‘Yeager’ and ‘other stories’. Back then they called the 262 “blowjobs”
When I visit my opthalmologist, he does the the scroll letters, and when I can’t read them any more, he scrolls down maybe four more notches. He then says, “read those.” I reply, “I can’t, they are barely pinpricks.” He chuckles and says, “you could read them if you were Chuck Yeager.”
The P-38 Lightning could outclimb the ME-262 but by that time in the war, P-38’s in Europe had been moved to unarmed photo-reconn.
Over a thousand rounds of .50 cal.
Yeah, but his kid struggled to bat .200.
While the Me 262 was very fast, it was also not very maneuverable and had relatively slow acceleration to speed. As such, it was often vulnerable to a real fast piston-engined fighter like the P-51B/D Mustang or the Spitfire Mk. XIV with the Griffon 65 engine.
If you havent read his Autobiography, I highly recommend it, very entertaining...
You know what’s funny about World War II and that 6 year time frame
Some of those look pilots flying swept-wing jets in 45 started the war in 39 flying fabric-covered biplanes