Messerschmitt 262 – Production #1

There was a thread recently on here on this.

The s/n is indeed 130026, and it is the Elden example. Bear in mind this was shot down September 12th, 1944 on its way to homebase Rheine (Germany) by German Flak by accident. At the time the Me262 was still highly secretive. Market Garden turned the south of The Netherlands upside down shortly afterwards, and German forces were in turmoil. It would not be impossible for the very substantial wreck to have been taken away and buried to keep the design secret.

There’s a couple of very good Dutch language articles on it, and the Elden shootdown.

Burying aircraft wrecks and other debris in bomb-craters happened all the time…

…are you suggesting the Nazis planned to dig this Me262 up later and fly it? 🙂

They’d have gotten away with it too if it hadn’a been for those meddlin’ kids and their darn dawg.

Hmm,

I’m not convinced that’s the serial.

On 500453, there was nothing at all to identify it – although granted years and years in various museums and with Howard Hughes hadn’t helped.

Two things identified it – a very faint ‘453’ on the fin fairing, which could not be seen until the paint was removed, and the numbers ‘500’ on one wing spar, and ‘453’ on the other. Both were in a position that wouldn’t normally be seen.

The things you tend to see of the skins of German aircraft are alloy stamps, which simply denote what the part is made from.

Burying aircraft wrecks and other debris in bomb-craters happened all the time…

…are you suggesting the Nazis planned to dig this Me262 up later and fly it? 🙂

That is fantastic! In a remarkable state of preservation too. Especially since burying aircraft in craters is allegedly something that never happened.