Wendel was the chief test pilot of Germany’s aircraft manufacturers, flying every aircraft Germany created. Only the bravest and most experienced pilots in the Third Reich would join him, including the famed aviatrix Hanna Reitsch.{5} Wendel would also fly the machine a year later, on March 2, 1943, with the new Jumo 004 engines and without a conventional engine backup.
Me 262V4, PC+UD, work number 000004, first flew on May 15, 1943, by Wendel. This aircraft was flown for a review by Göring at Rechlin airfield on July 25, 1943. The next day test pilot Gerd Lindner crashed on takeoff from Schkeuditz. This was ironically the first Me 262 that Adolf Galland flew. His report to Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch follows:
Der Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe
General der jagdflieger
Berlin
25 May 1943
Dear Field Marshal,
On Saturday, 22nd of this month, I flight tested in Augsburg the Me 262 in the presence of several gentlemen of the Air Ministry. With regard to the Me 262 aircraft, I would like to state the following:
1-The aircraft is a big blow, which will guarantee us an unbelievable advantage during operations, presuming the enemy continue flying with piston engined aircraft.
2-From the pilot’s viewpoint, the flight performance of the aircraft produced quite an impression.
3-The engines convince the pilot, except in take offs and landings.
4-The aircraft will give us revolutionary new tactical opportunities.
I kindly ask that you consider the following suggestions.
We do have the Fw 190D under development, which can be considered nearly equal to the Me 209 with regard to all performances. Both aircraft types, however, will not be able to considerably surpass hostile aircraft, above in all altitudes.
It can only be taken for granted that with regard to the armament and speed, progress can be achieved.
Therefore I do suggest;
to stop Me 209 production
to concentrate the total production capacity on Fw 190s with BMW 801, DB 603 or Jumo 213 engines
to have those development and production capacities that will become available then immediately transferred to the Me 262 program.
After my return I will inform you immediately.
Galland’s enthusiasm was understandable. Like Wendel, everyone who flew the Me 262 had nothing but praise for the experience, although reservations remained about the reliability of the Jumo engines. Galland’s praise for the aircraft in his memorandum to Milch should have been the final say on the project going forward. However, there were still concerns, many of which Galland could debate from a position of authority and experience. Other factors, which are discussed later, were far beyond his control. Galland was a warrior and a soldier of the sky, and the world of political intrigue was not his world. He was never comfortable in it, and he would eventually become a victim of it.
The next version to be tested was Me 262V4, PC+UE, work number 000005, which first flew on June 6, 1943. It used the Jumo 004A-O engines and the new tricycle undercarriage configuration, although the nose wheel was nonretractable. The only additional adjustment was the use of two Borsig RI-502 rockets mounted on the fuselage. This “RATO” (rocket-assisted takeoff) unit provided 2,220 pounds of thrust for six seconds. After the initial flight, the rockets were repositioned farther down the underside of the fuselage, and the takeoff distance was reduced by around 300 yards. The results were moderately positive, although this aircraft would later crash with a nose gear collapse at the hands of Hauptmann Werner Thierfelder on August 4, 1943, never to fly again.{6}
The pilot in the cockpit on this test flight was Karl Baur, who also test flew the Ar 234 and other revolutionary aircraft. Baur would later become just one of many German experts rounded up in Operation Paperclip, along with engineers, rocket scientists, and military intelligence experts. He would fly these aircraft in the United States after the war, assisting that government and military in the emerging Cold War.
Me 262V6, call sign VI+AA, work number 130001, was the first true preproduction model of the Me 262, and the first flight took place on October 17, 1943, with the Jumo 004B-O turbojet engines. This jet was also the first to incorporate a retractable hydraulically operated tricycle landing gear configuration, thus allowing for high-speed horizontal takeoffs and test flights with reduced drag.