Lockheed P-80A vs Messerschmitt Me 262A

The P-80 and the Me 262 never met in combat, but many students of aerial combat have debated what the outcome of such a battle might have been.

The Me 262 was an amazing aircraft, well ahead of its time in many ways, but it was also an aircraft that was rushed into production before all its bugs had been worked out. In the Earth-X timeline, I suppose that some, but not all, of those problems have been fixed, making it a more reliable aircraft than it was in reality. But it still has handling problems and a slow throttle response.

The P-80 had some development problems, also. Most notorious was the primary fuel pump that was powered by the main engine. This could cause engine failure if the auxilary pump was not engaged for take-off, as happened to several pilots, including America's top ace, MAJ Richard Bong. But the P-80 was a more advanced design that took advantage of the work done on earlier jet aircraft. It had power-boosted ailerons and a speed brake, both of which contributed to superior maneuverability. It was faster than the Me 262, though not by a lot, and it had greater range, much greater with its wingtip tanks that actually decreased its aerodynamic drag and improved its control response.

Although the two aircraft never met in combat, they were flown in a comparison test at Wright Field after the war. According to reports from that test, the Me 262 had a speed advantage in a dive, but the P-80 was superior in all other respects. In the Earth-X timeline, I've improved the Me 262 to make it a more even contest, but in the hands of the Blackhawks, the best pilots in the world, smart money will still go on the P-80.

See the table below for a direct comparison of the specifications and performance of the actual aircraft.

Specifications	Lockheed P-80A	Messerschmitt Me 262-A-1
Length	34 ft 6 in	34 ft 8.5 in
Wingspan	38 ft 10 in	41 ft 1 in
Height	11 ft 4 in	12 ft 6.75 in
Weight (empty)	7,920 lb	8,820 lb
Speed @ Sea Level 15000 ft 33000 ft 40000 ft	562 mph 542 mph 512 mph 495 mph	514 mph 532 mph 510 mph beyond ceiling
Service Ceiling	45,000 ft	37,664 ft
Range: Normal Maximum	780 miles 1,210 miles	650 miles 650 miles
Armament	Six .50 caliber machine guns	Four 30 mm MK108 cannons

Back to Blackhawk New Adventures Page

All characters, pictures, and related indicia on these pages are the property of DC Comics. All text is ©2001 Dan Thompson, except where otherwise noted. This homepage is not intended to infringe on the copyright of DC Comics to its characters, but was created out of gratitude to all the wonderful writers, artists, and editors who created the Blackhawks.