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Data on German aircraft during WWII came from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.
The first German aircraft that was shot down over England and which landed intact was a Heinkel 111 brought down on 28 October 1939. Two of the four crew were dead but the airplane survived in one piece except for a few bullet holes. A Ju 88 was shot down a few days before, but it crashed into the sea, a total loss. As the war went on into 1940 and the Battle of Britain was engaged, German aircraft fell all over England. Different types were quickly recovered in various stages of disrepair and subsequently arrive at experimental stations for analysis and to be made flyable again, if possible. Those that were brought down by fighters or antiaircraft guns were usually basket cases. The more favored carcasses were those that landed because of engine failure, exhausted fuel or bad navigation. Abundantly provided by these sources, the British soon had a “flying circus” of captured German aircraft with RAF markings that toured the air bases in Britain to allow familiarization of new crews with the armament, performance and weaknesses of the opposition.
When the French captured a Me 109 E in November 1939 it was sent to the RAE at Farnborough.
Royal Aircraft Establishment, Library Bibliography No. 312, Catalog of Enemy Aircraft Reports 1939-1946, Compiled by D. I. Raitt, March 1969, Ministry of Technology, London, W. C. 2.
The title page summary states:
“This catalogue lists reports held by the Main library and generated by R.A.E. departments on enemy aircraft and components sent here for examination during the Second World War.”
The documents were identified by a Main No., such as EA 28/1. EA undoubtedly stood for enemy aircraft or airplane.
Here’s a sampling:
EA 235/- Messerschmitt Me 262
Main. No.: EA 235/1
Dept. No. AERO 1537
Department or author: C.M. Fougere and F. Smith
Date: Oct. 1944
Pagination: 4 p 4 figs
Estimated performance of Me 262
EA 50/- Junkers Ju 88 S-1 No. NLEX
Main No.: EA 50/8
Dept. No. SME 249
Department or author: Structures and Mechanical Engineering
Date: June 1944
Pagination: 5p 8 figs.
Examination of cabin heater
EA 281/- German bombsight
Main No.: EA 281/1
Dept. No.: IAP 965
Department or author: Instrumental and Air Photography
Date: Jan. 1947
Pagination: 2p 1 fig.
Examination of Lotfe – 7K German Bombsight
EA 235/- Messerschmitt Me 262
Main No.: EA 235/3
Dept. No.: EL 1375
Department or author: F/Lt. Bartley
Date: Aug. 1945
Pagination: 6p
Electrical equipment (Me 262 No.112372)
In the Air Force Museum library . The AFM library number is D 52.1/133.
The cover page states:
“ADVANCE SUMMARY for TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE REPORTS TSNTE-5F
25 July 1946
Title: Electrical Equipment, German Aircraft, ME-262
File No. RAE Report No. EL 1375, August 1945
Author: Note Indicated
1. A brief discussion of the electrical equipment on German ME-262 airplane. No detailed examinations have been conducted. Therefore, the report is very general in nature.
Collation: Total pages 6, Text 6 pp.
Lt. S. A. Chamer, Analyst
Note: A copy of this document is on file in the Special Document Library (TSRWF-6)”
Fw 190A-8 WNr.171747
On August 30, 1944 a Luftwaffe ferry pilot deserted and landed a brand new FW-190A-8 near Birchington.
The pilot of this plane was Johannes Antonius Kuhn. He was born at November 15th, 1908 in Amsterdam. He was a former sgt. in the Military Airforce in the Netherlands. He was “forced” by his German wife to do something for the Fuehrer, so he went into the Luftwaffe in 1942.
He escaped in his Fw 190A-8 WNr.171747 on a delivery flight to Brussels-Melsbroek at August 30th, 1944.
Almost undamaged he landed his plane close to Monkton in Kent. Later the plane received serial AM230 and was shown to the public in Farnborough in 1945. After that the plane went to the Science Museum in London in 1946. Later it was scrapped.
Me262C-1a Heimatschutzer I (Home Defender I)
Work began on converting an early production Me262 W.Nr.130186 as the prototype Heimatschutzer I during August 1944. This was basically a standard Me262A-1a with the rear fuselage and tail modified to house a Walter HWK R11/211 (109-509) rocket engine. The main external difference was that the rear fuselage and rudder were cut away to allow of the rocket exhaust. The standard 900ltr forward fuel tank was replaced by a special non corrosive container for T-Stoff, and C-Stoff was carried in the rear 600ltr fuselage tank. The remaining 900 and 170ltr tanks were used for J2 jet fuel. Unlike the original Interzeptor I project, the prototype carried standard armament of four cannon. Although the prototype was known at one time as the Me262 J-1, the official designation chosen for the Heimatschutzer I was the Me262C-1a.
The prototype made its first flight, with turbojets only, when it was transferred from Leipheim to Lechfeld on 2 September but ten days later it was slightly damaged in an air attack by the US 15th Air Force. Following the change of the rocket engine and one of its Riedel starter motors, it made its second flight on 18th October. This flight was devoted to testing the T-Stoff jettisoning system, 900ltrs of coloured liquid being ejected from the forward tank. The spread of the stain over the entire bottom of the fuselage and undercarriage recesses showed that fuel dumping might result in fire from contact with waste oil.
On 21st October the aircraft carried out taxiing trials with additional mainwheels and four days later the rocket engine was ground tested for the first time. Following modifications to the engine bearers a second test of the rocket was made, but this resulted in welding faults being discovered in the combustion chamber and the engine had to be changed. Several other modifications were made including relocating the radio equipment due to fumes seeping into that part of the fuselage and alternations to the pressurised cabin.
Following these changes, the rocket engine was ground tested twice on 23rd November but the fuel pump and T- Stoff tank had to be changed four days later. Another ground run was made on 2nd December and 13 days later a third test flight was conducted to further test fuel jettisoning system. This confirmed the findings of the earlier trial and resulted in the design team moving the fuel dumping tube below the rear fuselage, emptying behind the tail.
The rocket engine was fired in the ground again on 18th December but this time another fault in the welding of the combustion chamber resulted in a small fire. After this was changed, on 4th January 1945 water was flushed through the complete system. Unfortunately water froze in the pipes leading Messerschmitt to complain that the Walter company had failed to advise them of what type of anti-freeze to use. Two further ground runs were made on 13th January without the rear fuselage fitted. After this was added, another test was made two days later, but this resulted in yet another fire. A third combustion chamber was then fitted, and the Flight Test Department was charged with developing a quick release system for the rear fuselage to minimise the time needed to remove and refit it.
Ground runs were made with the rocket on 29th January and 3rd February, and three days later the new fuel jettisoning system was tested successfully. Further problems with faulty welding in the rocket engine components were then experienced and it was not until 20th February that three successful ground tests were made. Three days later the turbojet and rocket engines were run together for the first time and on 27th February 1945, Gerd Lindner made the first flight with all three engines running. Two further rocket boosted flights were made on 16th March but six days later the aircraft was slightly damaged in an Allied air attack. Given the military situation at this time, it is unlikely that the aircraft was flown again. The fuselage of the C-1a prototype (which was also known as the second V6) was found at Lechfeld at the end of the war and shipped to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough for examination.
