Alternative to the Me 262

[Paul Lakowski]

BTW there was more than enough Chrome & Nickel in various weapons program to have made the JUMO-004A jet engine workable by 1942. That engine offer 80 hours service life . You just had to make the hard choices in time.

[T. A. Gardner]

BTW there was more than enough Chrome & Nickel in various weapons program to have made the JUMO-004A jet engine workable by 1942. That engine offer 80 hours service life . You just had to make the hard choices in time.

And, Germany did. Even the "better" version probably wouldn't have lasted the 80 hours. I'd guess, with the limited data we have it was more likely to be 20 to 30. That is significantly better than what the Jumo 004 as put into service did. That's also relatively comparable to the postwar versions manufactured by Russia (the RD 10) and the Czechs for example.

As for it coming into service earlier, that wasn't likely as both Junkers and BMW were having problems with their compressor blade profiles. BMW sought a solution to their problem with the Swiss firm Brown-Boveri, experts in turbine blade design. Junkers muddled through theirs and eventually sorted them out, for the most part, by 1944.
A good part of the problem for the German jet engine program was simply that none of the aircraft manufacturers had any considerable level of experience in designing gas turbines, steam turbines, or the like.

In Britain and the US both countries had companies with vast levels of steam and gas turbine experience like Vickers, GE, or Westinghouse. This gave the Allies a big advantage in designing jet engines from scratch as they already had all the blade profile series figured out for the most part. That's why BMW went to the one source they had available that had all those profiles already done: Brown Boveri.

[Paul Lakowski]

The bench tests on the JUMO-004A were several runs @ 200hours and the 80 hours was the projected service estimate. JUMO-004B bench tests were 100 hours with 50 hours between overhauls. In service 25 hours was achieved by experienced vets; while 10-12 hours was normal for the rest.

Pilot training had dropped of markedly around this time which may explain the 10-12hour service average.

LW told the jet developers they would not be needed since the war would be over before the jets development, which explains the slowed pace. JUMO-004B was started in 1942 and ready in 1944, while JUMO-004C/D were started in 1944 after the JUMO004B went into production and would not be ready before 1946.

JUMO 004A started in 1940 and following normal development would have been ready by 1942....with the delays 1943, especially if it was priority. Historically it was not.

[thaddeus_c]

my forced answer to OP would be equip a smaller aircraft with the DB power systems units (twinned engines)

1 "power system" for ME/BV-155 development from BF-109 and 2 "power systems" for HE-119/519 (unrealized bomber)

better use of those engines than HE-177

[BDV]

Anything, anything, to replace the utter anarchy that was LW production and prevent manufacturer backstabbing intrigue and infighting would probably have been preferable.

The failure to push the Do 335, Ta152, the He251 or Ta154 prevarication, the rocket programme altogether, and even when a reasonable weapon (V1) was produced, its ridiculous misuse.