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To: fugazi

1944: Capt. Charles Yeager becomes one of the first U.S. pilots to shoot down a Messerschmidt Me-262 jet fighter, scoring his victory as the warplane attempts to land on a German airfield.

Catching the ME 262 landing or taking off was probably just about the only chance an Allied fighter would have of shooting it down.

Top speed P-51 Mustang: 437 mph
Top speed ME-262: 559 mph


4 posted on 11/06/2018 7:18:21 AM PST by Flick Lives
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To: Flick Lives
Wiki: "Me 262 pilots claimed a total of 542 Allied aircraft shot down, although higher claims are sometimes made. The Allies countered its effectiveness in the air by attacking the aircraft on the ground and during takeoff and landing.
16 posted on 11/06/2018 7:36:35 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Flick Lives

Those early jets had a limited range, similar to a Tesla car.


17 posted on 11/06/2018 7:36:45 AM PST by Huskrrrr
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To: Flick Lives; fugazi; crz

I watched a doc on that kill and Yeager said it was “highly unsportsman like..but what the hell.”

I made the same observation, are you really shooting it down, if he’s landing? You’re just kind of hurrying him along, right?


28 posted on 11/06/2018 8:42:22 AM PST by ro_dreaming (Chesterton, 'Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It's been found hard and not tried')
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