Operational Service and History
The first operational test squadron was formed by the Luftwaffe as soon as January 1945 and this was followed by the first operational combat squadron brought online that February. March was used to perfect training (this done under the constant threat of daily Allied attacks from the air) and the first combat sorties of the He 162 were finally had in April 1944. In-the-field results were mixed: the He 162 held the performance figures to run down any Allied aircraft of the period but were highly susceptible to being shot down on landing approaches. Additionally, structural deficiencies and engine issues were common enough to ensure more He 162s were lost to non-combat causes than those shot down.
The impact of the He 162 was further limited by its late arrival into World War 2 and, as such, the He 162 was never truly able to meet its full potential nor could engineers enact any major changes to rectify its short comings. Eventually, the Soviets closing in from the East and the Allies arriving from the West meant that the completed and incomplete stocks of He 162 all fell into enemy hands. These were then thoroughly evaluated, with great interest, during the immediate post-war years though the design was given up for good rather quickly - ending its days as museum pieces for most.
Total production of the He 162 reached about 320 units (sources vary on the exact numbers) before the end of the war. Of this total, between 120 and 200 examples were actually deemed operational with a further 600 to 800 airframes having reached various stages of production.
Variants, Operational and Proposed
During the course of its short life, the He 162 appeared in several realized, and many proposed, forms. The line began with the original ten pre-production models (He 162A) under the He 162 A-0 designation. Then came the A-1 models with their 2 x 30mm MK 108 cannon arrangement (the guns limited to 50 projectiles each) and the A-2 armed through the more definitive arrangement of 2 x 20mm MG 151/20 autocannons (120 rounds per gun). A models performed at near 490 miles-per-hour and ranged out to 605 miles while reaching a ceiling of 39,000 feet.
The A-3 variant was a proposed He 162 with new, strengthened nose assembly fitting 2 x 30mm MK 108 autocannons. The A-8 was another proposed form powered by a Jumo 004D-4 turbojet engine of 2,300lb thrust set to increase operating speeds to nearly 550 mph. The A-10 was a proposed He 162 dispensing with the turbojet altogether and mounting twin Argus As 014 pulse jet engines instead, these seated over the tail.
The B-1 was to take on the Heinkel HeS 011A turbojet set atop a lengthened fuselage - this would have solved the issue of range, as more internal fuel stores would be fitted, and controlling. The He 162C would have the same changes as the proposed B-1 with the added benefits of a swept-back, "gull-wing" style mainplane configuration to go along with a new "V-style" tailplane. 2 x 30mm autocannons were to make up this variants armament suite, the guns carried in oblique (upward-angled) installations to better engage the more vulnerable undersides of enemy bombers. The He 162D was similar in scope but its mainplanes completely swept forward for a very futuristic appearance (with the hope that handling could be improved). The He 162E was flight-tested with the "BMW 003R", the engine being a mating of the BMW 718 rocket engine with the BMW 003A turbojet engine. The He 162S became a twin-seat glider form used exclusively in training.
The Tachikawa Ki 162 was the last notable proposed form to come the He 162 line, this aircraft a locally-built Japanese interpretation of the German He 162. The aircraft was to be powered by a Lorin ramjet engine alongside an Argus pulsejet for maximum power - though little came of this proposal before war's end.
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