American Test Pilots Flew A Captured He 162 — Then Admitted It Was A Factory-Fresh Deathtrap

Описание: American Test Pilots Flew A Captured He 162 — Then Admitted It Was A Factory-Fresh Deathtrap

Operation Lusty delivered Heinkel He 162 “Volksjäger” airframes into Allied hands in 1945. On paper: a jet interceptor that could be built fast from non-strategic materials. In American and British flight tests the truth emerged. The rushed wooden structure, bonded with wartime substitute adhesives, suffered from poor workmanship and suspect glues; structural failures—including fin and wing problems—were documented. The engine’s short endurance and unreliable starts left razor-thin margins for takeoff, climb, intercept, and landing. Control harmony was poor at speed, with pitch sensitivity that punished small errors; ejection seats were novel but immature. Ground crews reported that access panels, fasteners, and systems routing reflected speed over soundness—quick to assemble, not designed to last. Allied pilots could fly the He 162, but they flew it with the knowledge that one missed parameter or unseen delamination could be fatal. The American admission matched German factory and unit complaints: the concept had promise, but the execution—materials, build quality, and rushed systems—made the aircraft itself a hazard. In a regime where jet flight was new and unforgiving, the He 162’s shortcuts turned training into triage.