MESSERSCHMITT ME-262A SCHWALBE SPECIAL EDITION FOR FSX

Special Edition Me-262a

Discover what made the famous Messerschmitt Me-262a Schwalbe the legend it is. A reworking of the previously released Flight Replicas' Me-262s, this new Special Edition features possibly the most authentic aerodynamics ever done for this iconic WWII fighter, painstakingly researched and written by FSX aerodynamics master Bernt Stolle. From managing the difficult early jet engines, to combat maneuvering at high speed, to getting back on the ground safely, you will come to know both the challenges and joys that were those of the real Me-262a pilots.

Not an easy aircraft to fly, this Me-262a will be a challenge for experienced pilots, or for those seeking to expand their skill range. Discover why only the best of the best were allowed to fly the Me-262.

Included free: An entire USAAF B-17G Flying Fortress Combat Box, to scale, with almost 40 accurately scaled low poly aircraft (flying via a single set of air files), which can be flown as AI or by using freeware programs (such as the excellent "FormationSetup"), to fully enable you to experience what it took to get the Me-262 into a firing pass, for example, and discover the pro's and con's of flying such a high speed aircraft against slower machines. Experience the new aerodynamics to their absolute fullest.

(Please note: While much of the physical model in this release is unchanged from the previously released Flight Repicas Me-262 models (which is what has prompted the lower than normal price), this new Special Edition nonetheless features many new VC upgrades in order to enhance realism even further and maximize your immersion, plus new high resolution textures throughout.)

History:

The Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe (German for "Swallow") saw action from late summer of 1944 until the end of the war, sharing the title of first operational jet fighter with the British Gloster Meteor.

The Me-262 began life in 1938, when Willy Messerschmitt was called upon to design a new fighter to be powered by two gas turbine engines. The configuration eventually chosen featured a sleek streamlined fuselage with the two podded engines carried beneath a low-mounted wing. Although the first airframe was ready to fly by 1941, the B.M.W. engines were suffering prolonged development delays, which slowed the project significantly.

Developed steadily over the next two years, and using the famously unreliable Jumo 004 engines, the Luftwaffe began committing the Me 262A-1a to combat in mid-1944 when they were pitted against the streams of heavy bombers making daily raids on German cities and military targets. Despite being well-armed with highly effective 30-mm cannons and air-to-air rockets, the remarkable Me-262 was simply too little, too late, to turn the tide of war in Germany's favor. Maintaining production was difficult due to Allied attacks on industrial centers, many aircraft being destroyed on the ground before they could ever fly.

Some 1,430 total aircraft were built, though only about 300 ever saw combat. Some 120 two-seat trainers were built, made by modifying the single seat airframe. The Me-262, although a spectacular aircraft for its time, had a negligible impact on the course of the war, shooting down an estimated 150 Allied aircraft for the loss of 100 Me 262s, the majority of aircraft being grounded too often for lack of fuel.

Features:

Highly accurate VC;
Luminescent gauge dials for night flying, just like the original;
Cabin Ventilation lever that opens visible air scoop;
Revi16B gunsight that folds accurately out of the way;
Revi16B has a realistic collimated reticule;
Revi16B tinted glass can be realistically folded out of the way;;
Working gun system, including panel system activation and control stick gun arming;
Fully clickable and workable cockpit overall;
Bump mapping in selected areas;
Carefully researched textures, including help from a major museum;
Accurately landing gear sequence (e.g. on approach: main wheels first, them front gear);
Accurate Luftwaffe pilot flight suit, flight helmet and oxygen mask;
Turn on the oxygen system and the pilot puts on his mask;
Animated pilot;
Exhaust cones that move with throttle setting, just like the original Jumo 004's;
Full flight operations manual, accurate and derived from the original;
Written history of all the aircraft depicted.
Paint kit