unbekannte Typen der Me-262 - unknown types of the Me-262

Me-262 a-2 als Zielschlepper - Me-262 A-2 as a target tug
After the Allies' victory, several Me-262 aircraft without engines were secured by the USA. The Americans found engines at BMW, which were also transported to the United States. Since new sighting systems were to be tested due to the now faster jet planes, the USA needed a fast target tug. For this purpose, one of the Me-262s transported to the USA was equipped with BMW engines and containers with retractable tow bags. The aircraft was painted in a particularly conspicuous manner to prevent it from being shot at. During the first test flight, the left tow bag could no longer be retracted or released. When attempting to land the aircraft with the extended tow bag, it got caught on a runway marker, causing damage to the outer wing. The subsequent breakage led to the total loss of the Me-262, and the project was not pursued further. Since there was only this one flight of the special Me-262, no photographic documentation was found. Only a few sketches served as a template for the model.
 

Projekt Landgeschwindigkeitsweltrekord - Land speed world record project
After the completion of flight testing with captured Me-262 aircraft, the remaining examples were either donated by the U.S. military to museums or sold at very low "scrap metal prices." A group of speed enthusiasts, led by Don Fink (father of Dan Fink), also purchased such "scrap." Unfortunately, the project had to be abandoned at a speed of 262 mph (421.65 km/h) due to unsolvable stability problems. According to unconfirmed rumors, other enthusiasts pursued similar goals, so it seems that the last word on this story has yet to be spoken... 

Me 262 U-2
The German High Command was initially convinced by the concept of high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft after successful early tests. However, when the British managed to shoot down the high-flying but slow reconnaissance planes, a quick replacement was needed. Since the Me 262 was in the testing phase at the time, it was considered suitable for conversion into a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It was fast enough to escape piston-engine fighters, but in order to maintain sufficient lift at those altitudes, the wings had to be extended. At that time, there was little experience with swept wings and large wingspans, so it was decided to go with a conventional sweep for the outer wings.
Due to numerous technical problems, the flight tests dragged on, and with the war's end approaching, there is no known evidence of this version being deployed in combat. The Americans then transported the only existing prototype to the United States, where it was extensively tested. These experiences later contributed to the development of the Lockheed U-2, used during the Cold War (the name was adopted by the USAAF). 

Me-262 A-2 der Schweizer Flugwaffe - Me-262 A-2 of the Swiss Air Force
Shortly before the end of the war, Switzerland received six Me-262 aircraft with BMW engines in exchange for the return of a Ju-88 equipped with Berlin radar. These Me-262s were favored for air combat training due to their excellent flight characteristics. It was soon noticed how easily aerobatics could be performed with this aircraft. The pilots then began formation aerobatics and came up with the idea of showcasing these formation flights at air shows, laying the foundation for what would later become the Patrouille Suisse.
Initially, however, the aerobatic team was called the Swiss Sky Cross. This formation only flew as long as the six Me-262s could be kept operational. 

ELSIE
In 1963, Captain A. J. Boyd purchased a Me-262A from NASA stock at auction and converted it into a racing aircraft. However, the "Fychleberry Hun," which flew in Luftwaffe camouflage, proved too cumbersome to navigate the tightly spaced pylons during air races. Inspired by a yellow rocket car that had to abort a world speed record attempt at 262 mph (421.65 km/h) at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, Boyd decided to convert his machine into a salt flat racer, debuting a radically redesigned version in 1967.
As a tribute to the P-38 "Elsie," which Boyd had flown during World War II, he named the race car after his childhood sweetheart, also calling it "Elsie." However, the vehicle never got to compete. Boyd was arrested for drunk driving on his way from the hotel to the salt flats and lost his driver's license. Friends claim that his jealous wife, Nancy, had tipped off the police. 

Me 262/38
Baron von Schulzlinger, a member of the Bavarian lesser nobility and a flying ace from World War I, formerly of Jasta 27, withdrew to his castle in the Bavarian Alps after the death of his sons in the Great War, wanting nothing more to do with the world. He also harbored a long-standing feud with his former commander, who had stolen his fiancée. By the summer of 1944, von Schulzlinger had grown thoroughly fed up with the incompetence of "Corporal Göring" (as he mockingly called him) and decided to personally intervene in the air battles over Germany.
Through shadowy channels, he acquired two Me 262 jets, which he modified to his own specifications using parts from the wreckage of a downed P-38. Beginning in early autumn 1944, he took to the skies over Bavaria, making the airspace both dangerous and unpredictable. He claimed to have shot down several Allied aircraft. His plane bore his family’s coat of arms as its markings, since he refused to associate with the Luftwaffe or its commanders. True to his aristocratic roots, von Schulzlinger wore a monocle and sported a Kaiser Wilhelm II-style mustache, all while longing for the return of the Bavarian monarchy. 

U-262 A
At the end of 1944, the German Navy's High Command abandoned its plans for an aircraft carrier equipped with Me-262 jet fighters. Following this, the Army's High Command ordered the Navy to hand over the 24 aircraft in its possession to the Luftwaffe. Using the spare parts remaining in the Navy's inventory, six two-man submarines were constructed for specialized commando operations.
Only one of these submarines survived World War II. The last known sighting of it was in 1951 in southern France, by a young boy accompanied by a white dog.
 

Me 262 in der Sowjetunion - Me 262 in the Soviet Union
During the Red Army’s advance in the spring of 1945, the 26th Reconnaissance Squadron discovered an abandoned airfield about 85 km southeast of Berlin. While inspecting the site, the Red Army found a Me 262 in a camouflaged hangar, though it was unfinished. Several aircraft engineers were sent to Germany to inspect it, including Artyom Ivanovich Mikoyan and Mikhail Iosifovich Gurevich. The two immediately recognized that this aircraft could serve as a solid foundation for their collaborative projects.
The Me 262 was transported to Moscow, where it was fitted with a Tumansky R-11F-300 turbojet engine. Artyom and Mikhail designated this new fighter plane the MiG-262. 

Me 262 auf der USS Nimitz - Me 262 on the USS Nimitz
As World War II came to an end, the U.S. government transported several Messerschmitt Me 262 aircraft, which the Wehrmacht had hidden in a forest near Berlin, to the United States. Lockheed, North American, Republic Aviation Company, Douglas Aircraft Company, and Grumman each received two Me 262s for research and study purposes.
The U.S. Navy was immediately interested in developing a new carrier-based jet fighter and tasked Grumman with the project. Grumman, having specialized in naval aircraft during the war, adapted the Me 262 to meet the Navy's requirements. The designation for this new aircraft was the F26F-2 Hellbird. 

SAAB JAS J-262 Vatten Draken
After the end of World War II, Sweden recognized the revolutionary potential of the new German jet fighter concepts and tasked SAAB with developing a twin-engine air superiority fighter for the Swedish Air Force. This fighter was designed not only for traditional air combat but also for ground attack and reconnaissance missions.

A special variant of this aircraft was intended for operations in the northern seas and fjords. Various Scandinavian countries expressed great interest in this variant, especially Iceland, which was considering the creation of a small but powerful air force to reduce its reliance on foreign powers. The newly founded Reykjavik Aerospace fyrirtæki (Reykjavik Aviation and Aerospace Company) was involved in the development of the SAAB Jas J-262 Vatten Draken. The key advantage Iceland hoped for was the ability to launch and land the aircraft directly on the waters surrounding the island, with the sheltered fjords being particularly favored for operations.
This multi-role combat aircraft, the first of its kind, was a fusion of successful concepts from the recent war and the lessons learned from it. The project incorporated ideas from the Me-262, the Nakajima A6M2-N Rufe, and the Aichi M6A Seiran. From the Me-262 came the concept of the jet fighter, from the Rufe, the idea that not every island needed an airbase to station fighters, and from the Seiran, the concept of a small fighter equipped with floats for ground attack missions.
Only a few operational Vatten Draken aircraft were ever built. When Iceland ultimately decided against establishing its own air force, the project was shelved completely. 

Spacesmith SS-262 „The Pirat`s Knife“
The year is 2977. After humanity had expanded and multiplied explosively through the conquest of space and the colonization of many new planets, it is now in slow decline. Dwindling resources in the colonies led to an increasing longing for the home planet Earth, which ultimately culminated in the Homecoming War. In order to end the destructive competition for the earth, the Gaia Sanction (a sectarian administrative organization) declared it an uninhabitable holy place that can only be entered with special permission. In this hopeless time, when most people have already come to terms with the unstoppable decline of humanity, there is a symbol of resistance: Captain Harlock, a space pirate who, with his powerful ship Arcardia, opposes the Gaia sanction and its claim to sovereignty. He is considered as legendary as he is mysterious and being part of his crew is the goal of all those who long for freedom. The Spacesmith SS-262 "The Pirate's Knife" is an Arcadia shipboard fighter that can operate in both space and an atmosphere. This squadron is the tip of the spear and, together with the Arcadia, the last line of defense for all people fighting for freedom in these dark days. 

Me-262 A-2 im Dienst bei der holländischen Luftwaffe - Me-262 A-2 in service with the Dutch
air force
After the end of World War II, aircraft seized in Germany were distributed to various nations to build up armed forces. Holland also received a small number of Me-262s. The air forces of the newly founded NATO held their first meeting in the early 1950s, which was known as the Tiger Meeting and at which competitions were held with four aircraft each. The first such Tiger meeting was the only one involving the Me-262. Since one of the Me-262s left service after the meeting, other models were used. Since these meetings were initially secret, there were no pictures of this specially painted Me-262. This model was created speculatively based solely on descriptions. 

Incom T-262 X-Wing
Based on the design of the ARC-170 (Advanced Recon Fighter), the T-262 was intended to fill the role of an ODF (Orbital Defense Fighter). Stationed either on geostationary space stations for planetary defense or on space carriers for strategic frontline operations.
The lack of hyperdrive and the unaccounted for astromech were the biggest weaknesses of this agile interceptor and severely limited the operational radius. After a short time, the armament with two laser cannons attached to the hull was no longer sufficient.
Only the later T-65 X-Wing variant eliminated these deficiencies. The most famous T-65 is probably the “RED 5” flown by Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin, which led to the destruction of the first Imperial Death Star. Despite its weaknesses, the T-262 is still often used by space pirates for raids because of its maneuverability and low operating costs. 

Supermarine 262 "Manatee"
At the end of 1944, the Royal Navy “unofficially” approached the Supermarine company with the order to produce a fast naval reconnaissance aircraft. The requirements of the secret project “Manatee” were:
1. the new aircraft type should be twice as fast as the “Walrus”.
2. the dimensions could not be larger
3. the prototype had to be available within 3 months
To speed up the project, the RN provided the designers with an Me-262 captured in France. It quickly became clear to the planning office at Supermarine that it was not possible to develop a completely new type of aircraft in such a short time, so the float fuselage of the “Walrus” was adapted to the Me-262. The double wings were also adapted to the fuselage of the Me-262, which led to a new wing strut design. The 2 engine nacelles of the Me-262 replaced the radial engine of the “Walrus”. The “Manatee” was successfully launched for its first flight on February 21, 1945 by the HMS Belfast. According to test pilot R. W. Aspendiffers, the flight was extremely “rough”. The project was then canceled due to the surrender of the Axis powers. According to unconfirmed sources, the prototype is still today, dismantled into boxes, in the extensive cellars of Windsor Castle. 

Naboo N-262
The N-262 was a starfighter in the service of the Naboo Royal Security Force. Its maneuverability and comparatively powerful armament made it the proud flagship of the Starfighter Corps and its most effective weapon against pirates and looters in the Chommell sector. Like most other works produced by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps, many of its components were imported and combined with the Naboo's typical ship design. Its slim shapes and shiny coating are characteristic of the Naboo design. The later N-1 fighter became better known, making history in action against the Trade Federation during the Battle of Naboo. 

Suchoi Su-262 волнистый попугайчик
At the beginning of 1946, the Sukhoi design office was commissioned to test the properties of negatively swept wings. A captured Messerschmitt Me-262 served as a test vehicle, the wing geometry of which was modified after the engine nacelles so that the wing pointed forward. The prototype was given the designation Su-262/0 and was quickly nicknamed “Budgie” (волнистый попугайчик) because of the engine noise.
First flight was carried out by Vladimir K. Kokkinaki, who also worked for Ilyushin. The wing geometry had an exceptionally positive effect on the maneuverability of the aircraft, but the material loads at high speeds could not be reliably dissipated. Due to a lack of suitable materials (e.g. composite fiber), further testing was discontinued. Unfortunately, there is no further information about the whereabouts of the prototype. In September 1997, the S-37 was launched, later renamed Su-47 “Berkut” (Golden Eagle), which incorporated the early findings of the Su-262 and combined it with the latest technology. Unfortunately, the “Berkut” was never built in series. In homage, the Su-262's livery was adopted by the Su-47. 

De Havilland Canada DHC-262-JFP, Canadian Postal Service
As is well known, after the Second World War some "miracle weapons" were thoroughly tested by the victors, including the Me-262. After testing, a two-seater Me-262 found its way from England to Canada.
The Canadian Post Office there was feverishly searching for a fast courier plane for the remote posts. Unfortunately, the good qualities of the Me-262 were offset by the fact that it was a land plane and a seaplane was definitely needed. This Me-262 was passed on to the De Havilland Canada works for further testing. As luck would have it, the chief engineer of the Kawanishi works emigrated to Canada after the surrender and was hired there by De Havilland Canada. Through the planning work he had carried out on the Kyofu and the knowledge of seaplanes required, the idea came to equip the Me-262 with a central float as a test carrier. The results were so overwhelming that Canada Post ordered a batch of 24 machines. These were in use from 1947 under the designation DHC-262-JFP. After a good ten years in service with the Canadian Postal Service, this chapter of the Me-262 also came to an end.