Me 262 A-1a

This page is about the German jet fighter Me 262 A-1a. For other versions, see Me 262 (Family).

Me 262 A-1a

Bf 109 K-4

Me 262 C-1a

Me 262 A-1a

Bf 109 K-4

Me 262 C-1a

Germany

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.3	7.0	7.0

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:95 000

Purchase:270 000

Description

The Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe, also known as the “Swallow,” was a variant of the Me 262, which holds the distinction of being the world’s first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Designed and produced by Messerschmitt in Germany, this cutting-edge fighter played a crucial role during the war.

Here are the key details about the Me 262 A-1a:

1. Role: The Me 262 A-1a served as a defensive interceptor against Allied bombers and fighters.
2. Engines: It featured revolutionary Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines, propelling it to a top speed of over 540 miles per hour—much faster than any Allied fighter at the time.
3. Armament:
   • Armed with four 30 mm cannons, the Me 262 A-1a packed a punch.
   • It could also carry air-to-air rockets for added firepower.
4. Combat Debut: The Me 262 A-1a entered service with the Luftwaffe in mid-1944. Its first combat mission took place on July 26, 1944, when it engaged a British Mosquito reconnaissance plane over Bavaria. This marked the first-ever air-to-air combat involving a jet fighter.
5. Effectiveness: German pilots claimed to have shot down 542 Allied aircraft using the Me 262. However, it faced challenges such as engine reliability issues, fuel shortages, and interference from Hitler, who wanted it to be used as a fighter-bomber.
6. Allied Response: The Allies countered the Me 262 by attacking it on the ground, during takeoff, and landing.
7. Impact: Despite its late introduction and limited numbers, the Me 262 had a significant impact on aviation history.

The Me 262 A-1a is a formidable heavy fighter. Its heavy rocket bombardments can dismantle bomber formations, and its MK 108 cannons are lethal against flying fortresses. However, it may struggle against other jets with superior speed and maneuverability.

The Schwalbe in its interceptor role.

The Schwalbe's instrument panel.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 6 000 m865 km/h

Turn time28 s

Max altitude12 500 m

Engine2 х Junkers Jumo 004B-1

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight7 t

The Me 262 A-1a can enter an uncontrollable flatspin after attempting certain vertical manoeuvres, in a similar manner to the Fw 190 series fighters when the rudder is manipulated. This can prove fatal at altitudes below 2,000 m as it leaves little space to recover from it.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	824	796	12500	29.0	30.0	16.0	14.9	750
Upgraded	909	865		27.7	28.0	24.5	20.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	X	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1050	450	558	529	380	~10	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 500	< 600	< 680	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Empty mass			Wing loading (full fuel)
Junkers Jumo 004B-1		2	4,280 kg			287 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)					Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		16m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	53m fuel
720 kg	Axial-flow turbojet		4,894 kg	5,041 kg	5,409 kg	5,961 kg	6,255 kg	6,520 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition	100%	WEP	16m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	53m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	910 kgf	N/A	0.37	0.36	0.34	0.30	0.29	0.28
Optimal	910 kgf (0 km/h)	N/A	0.37	0.36	0.34	0.30	0.29	0.28

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural1 050 km/h

Gear450 km/h

• 15 mm Steel - Behind the pilot
• 15 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest
• 15 mm Steel - Between cockpit and fore fuel tank
• 15 mm Steel - Instrument panel plate
• 16 mm Steel x 2 - Ammunition protection plates
• 90 mm Bulletproof glass
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 in front of pilot, 1 under pilot's feet, 2 behind pilot)

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 673 → 4 653

RB9 448 → 11 970

SB13 880 → 17 585

Total cost of modifications80 100

129 100

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 500

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 320 / 600 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 8 000 Cost: 13 000 310 Compressor Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 700 230 Wings repair Research: 10 000 Cost: 16 000 390 Engine Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 340	Airframe Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 700 230 Cover Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 340	R1 modification Research: 8 000 Cost: 13 000 310 mk108_belt_pack Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 700 230 R1/II modification Research: 10 000 Cost: 16 000 390 mk108_new_gun Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 340

The biggest issue of the Schwalbe is its bad acceleration across all speeds. Thus, Compressor and Engine upgrades have the highest priority. The cannons' stock belts are decent, but the high explosive content increases with the new ammo in Offensive 30 mm. Including them into the upgrade route is not a bad idea. The same applies for the rockets in the R1 modification. Being able to knock out bases (~40) or tanks (direct hit) with these warheads makes a long game much easier to win. New 30 mm cannons is an interesting upgrade choice as it increases accuracy above 300 m (350 yds), but the MK 108 will still be unable to hit any at 500 m (600 yds).

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 14 x 30 mm MK 108 cannon

Ammunition360 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

The Me 262 A-1a is armed with:

• 4 x 30 mm MK 108 cannons (2 x 100 RPG top + 2 x 80 RPG bottom = 360 total)

The MK 108 has a high damage potential. With a great in-game burst mass of 14.52 kg/s (32.01 lbs/s) and the great explosive warhead "Minengeschoss" (mine-shell), this weapon will vaporize aircraft, especially bombers. But every coin has a flip side and the MK 108 is no exception. The amazing rate of fire is exchanged with a very short barrel and small propellant charges, resulting in very poor ballistics. The MK 108 cannon fires very slow shells with a great bullet drop.

The MK 108 cannons have an ammo indicator in the cockpit, which is typical of Luftwaffe aircraft. It sits directly beneath the compass (the one with the little plane in the middle). The left white column is for the two top autocannons. The right one is for the bottom two cannons; this bar is also taller than the left one as the ammo count is different for the two pairs.

The MK 108 is a very bad anti-fighter weapon particularly in a jet-to-jet combat. Bullet drop and slow velocity result in a severe difficulty leading shots at ranges above 300 m (350 yds). In dogfights where both aircraft are constantly turning and changing direction, this trait gets even worse. The high speed of jet battles push the necessary lead for hitting the target farther in front of the enemy. Training with this weapon system before getting into battle is heavily advised.

All four cannons are arranged in bundles of two mounted on the underside of the upper mounted in the nose of the aircraft. Two are outfitted with 100 RPG, while the other two have 80 RPG.

Suspended armament

List of setups (2)

Setup 124 x R4M rockets

Setup 248 x R4M rockets

The Me 262 A-1a can externally outfit:

• 24 x 55 mm R4M rockets
• 48 x 55 mm R4M rockets

Usage in battles

As a heavy fighter, the 'Schwalbe' is not nimble, but neither are other first-generation jets. Compared to them, the Me 262 is actually quite agile and possesses a speed, roll, and damage output advantage against certain adversaries.

However, don't be fooled - this aircraft was the first operational jet fighter. Generally, anything 3 years older than the 262 outclasses it. Against them, the 262's turn rate is your only advantage, with the exclusion of the Gloster Meteor. Avoid combat with Meteors if possible, however, if engaged with a Sea Meteor or any later variant, do not attempt to dive as it will only make your situation worse. Try alternating barrel rolls to force them to overshoot. Joystick users can try the classic trick of banking the aircraft about 120-180 degrees out of phase of the enemy aircraft with a positive G-load but as usual, they will need to watch their altitude carefully.

The 'Schwalbe' climb rate is actually not too bad as stock in 6.0-7.0 games but to climb well you need to be around 450 to 500 km/h for best climb rate which can be visually unappealing due to its low angle of climb. This in itself can be used to out-run and climb simultaneously as an advantage.

The Schwalbe has three main possible usages:

• Air-supremacy-fighter:

Find and destroy other fighters. While the historic purpose of the Me 262 was a bomber interceptor, it performs well against other fighters. However, it must be played like a heavy fighter or, for instance, the Fw 190 series. Be careful and plan every step ahead, including your retreat and how you will regain lost energy. A standard attack looks like the following:

1. Find a target already engaged in combat and busy or an enemy who is alone.
2. Position yourself with either a speed or energy advantage in the enemy's blind-spot (where they would least expect you, attacking with the sun behind you is a good tactic).
3. Proceed closer to the enemy aircraft with the energy advantage you hold.
4. Launch a deadly surprise attack.
5. Escape any other nearby enemies with a "zoom climb" or a continuation of the approach at your maximum speed.
6. Once enough separation has been gained (3-5 km), regain energy by accelerating or climbing. Likewise, engaging a different target who has lower energy is an option.

These tactics are virtually the same as used by the Fw 190 series and also works on all early jets (Meteor F 3, P-80, MiG-9, F2H, Kikka, R2Y2), etc.
Against later jets, (Sea Meteor, La-15, F9F), it gets trickier as they can easily neglect any energy advantage you built up due to their superior acceleration. The approach suggested above will still work, but needs to be executed with even more caution. Having allies nearby to assist is also often mandatory in matches like these, as a single 262 bears little threat to Korean War jets.
Against these superior foes, one of the 262's lesser strengths can be used - the turn rate. For a few turns, the Schwalbe will easily outmanoeuvre most Korean War jets, apart from the naval carrier jets like the F9F Panther and Seameteor.

• Bomber interceptor:

Seek and annihilate any heavy bombers with the impressive armament the Me 262 brings to the battlefield. Avoid getting shot at though! The 262's engines are weak and like to burn. If the engines catch on fire, throttle down and then shut off the engine (default "i") and go into a dive to gain speed. Rockets are also fun in this mode, as the Schwalbe has the option to carry up to 48 55 mm R4M rockets. Don't forget to set a detonation timer for the R4M missiles so they do not require direct hits. 600-800 m is suggested.

• Ground attacker:

Bad acceleration and a high stall speed - usually not the traits wielded by an attacker, but the Schwalbe as two very convincing arguments on its side: R4M rockets and bad matchmaking. The 24 (48 seconds unlock) rockets can destroy light pillboxes, medium tanks and mini bases (~50 rocket impacts). Peculiar to note is the ability of the MK 108 to destroy light pillboxes. 60-80 shots are needed from a very low angle and from a short distance. Also, the Me 262 can get dragged up to games where it will face Korean War jets. One could try, as an experienced pilot, to get the best out of the situation. Those who are not as skilled at ground attacking still benefit the team; if the match starts to take longer, a ground victory becomes a viable option. The same applies if the last enemy is hiding and the tickets start to count down.

Going against other countries would bring out their jets. Other countries' first-generation jets include the F-80A-5, Meteor Mk. 3, Vampire, MiG-9, Kikka and Yak-15. The Me 262 is the heaviest of them and thus reigns straight line kinetic energy retention at high speeds.

• Top speed goes to the F-80, followed by the MiG-9 and Meteor F.4. Not all is grim though! Both the Vampire and Yak-15 sit far at the end of the spectrum.
• The Sea Meteor has the best acceleration in the horizontal, although it will break apart before it can reach its top speed. In the vertical, however, the weight and design of the Me 262 allow for the most rapid dive in this time era.
• Turn rate: do not turn in jets, or heavy fighters like in this case. Pure horizontal manoeuvres are reserved for emergency situations and should be avoided accordingly.

As such, the Me 262 is often lacking in certain traits compared to its BR contemporaries. Always try to get a drop on the opponent and catch them by surprise rather than a straight-up dogfight.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Heavy armament of 4 x 30 mm MK 108 cannons
• Powerful mine shells
• Decent agility, able to outroll most soviet jet fighters it faces

Cons:

• Bad acceleration
• Bad climb rate
• As with most Me 262s, the take-off run is relatively long
• Exposed and fragile engines, very prone to fires and oil leaks
• Mediocre aircraft gun ballistics: very low muzzle velocity and a lot of drag, hitting a manoeuvring target beyond 500 m is nearly impossible
• Cannons have very small ammo count, requires trigger discipline
• Cannons are inaccurate
• Tends to enter an uncontrollable flatspin after stalling out
• Unusually high wing angle of attack is required for level flight at most speed ranges so aircraft tends to bleed energy easier when turning
• Pilot snipes from medium to large-calibre machine guns and cannons is frequent and sometimes even guaranteed

History

Archive of the in-game description

The Messerschmitt Me 262 was a German jet fighter, fast bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the WWII era. It was the world's first mass-produced jet fighter and the first jet aircraft to see combat. The first serial variant, the Me 262 A-1a, unofficially known as 'Schwalbe', arrived for flight testing in Lechfeld in July 1944. The construction used generic alloys, was almost fully riveted and its weight was rather high, all for the sake of ease of mass production. The Jumo 004B-1 jet engine (later B-2 and B-3) also housed a 2-stroke Riedel motorcycle engine, used as a starter. Two small 17-liter fuel tanks were used to power the starter. The rest of the fuel was housed in the fuselage. Two main and two extra fuel tanks were used. Main tanks held 900 liters of fuel, the nose tank had 170 liters and the rear tank held 600 liters. Radio equipment included the FuG 16ZY radio (later replaced with the FuG 15) and the FuG 25a IFF set. The 262 was armed with four 30 mm MK 108 cannon with 100 rounds per gun for the top pair and 80 rounds per gun for the bottom pair. The pilot was protected by a 90 mm armoured glass and 15 mm armoured plating on the sides and back. The Me 262 A-1 was easier to fly than the Bf 109G. Considering the great range of available airspeeds, the cockpit equipment was rather sparse. Although the turn radius for the jet fighter was significantly wider than that of a piston fighter, it could better retain high speeds in a turn. Its acceleration was much worse than that of a piston plane, but the Me 262 had an incredible dive rate, which could occasionally threaten going past Mach 1.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Me 262 A-1a from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

  First prototype was fitted with a Jumo 210 600 hp and a wooden propeller. This saved the test pilot on at least one occasion.

• 

  Asymmetrical jet engine test prototype

• 

  Me 262A "White 3" at the Dübendorf airfield in Switzerland

Videos

The Me-262 family discusses the Me 262 A-1a at 1:26 - War Thunder Official Channel

The Shooting Range #14 - Pages of History section at 06:16 discusses the Me 262 and the Kikka.

The Shooting Range #174 - Pages of History section at 04:45 discusses the Me 262 "Schwalbe".

Me 262 A-1a [Brutal Schwalbe] - Jengar

AIR SHARK: The Me 262 A-1a - MikeGoesBoom

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance