Well, the refrences actually said two BMW-003 engines, and that the pilot ejected. When i read about it for the first time /some 14 years ago/ i was thinking that its some kind of joke in the Luft 46 style, but later i read an article in a russian magazine /with the same photos in the link i gave/ which said that the russians found part of the documentation for the plane. But the date April 1st really does make one wonder, true or false, so its really possible that im one of those fools who believed in an april fool. If its just a joke, sorry guys, it`s my fault.
PS. I think it`s fare some of you to give the next question.
Sea Dart it is. Never achieved its design max speed of 825 mph, but did go supesonic, at high altitude,on 3 August 1954, in a shallow dive. With better engines and the fuselage re-designed according to area rule principles, might well have been able to do so in level flight, too.
The Kikka looked like an Me-262, but it really was an all new airplane. It pwas probably influenced by the Me-262 design, but the sub with the Me-262 documents was sunk en route to Japan.
The Kikka was actually somewhat smaller than the German plane and had domestically produced engines that probably borrowed some technology from the German designs.
I did a bit of research on the plane a couple of years ago. A rather interesting parallel development. The Japanese also had plans to re-engine the pusher prop J7W Shinden with a jet engine too.
If the war had lasted another year they may have gotten some jet fighters operational, though their industry was pretty disrupted by 1945. Not only did the B-29 raids do a lot of damage, but a major earthquake in late 44 shut down some factories too.
Plus, there was the small matter of US submarines swimming all round the Japanese coast, and cutting off supplies of oil and food. Most sources suggest that, regardless of the nuclear strikes, Japan would have been starved into submission long before they could have got any jet aircraft operational.
It is highly likely that the nuclear strikes were carried out more with the intention of frightening the Russians rather than defeating Japan. Don’t forget that Berlin had fallen and Germany was defeated at the time. It would have been hard to stop Russia if it had chosen to continue its advance to take over the rest of Europe. The signal sent by those two bombs must, surely, have been taken into account by Russia’s leaders.
Yes, there isn’t much doubt among informed students of the subject that sending a message to Stalin was as least as important a reason for going ahead with the nuclear strikes as bringing the war to a rapid end, so as to save American lives by removing the need for an invasion. Also, stopping his advances into China and onto the northeren islands of Japan.
I wasn’t as if, by Summer 1945, with B-29s flying freely over the Japanese Home Islands, the Japanese navy and merchant marine at the bottom of the sea, and US battleships and heavy cruisers sailing up and down the Japanese coast, firing at any suitable target they came across, that Japan was a threat to international security any more. Like I said, it was only a matter of time before they would have been starved into submission. The USN succeeded where the Kriegsmarine (only just) failed.
Anyway, we’re waddling way off topic…Airplane questions, remember!
Just a friendly reminder: The Twentieth Air Force RAN OUT OF MILITARY TAGETS TO DESTROY in Japan. After that, they switched to civilian targets. Tokyo was bombed with incendiaries. It was the largest and hottest fire in the history of mankind. They still did not give up. Over 100,000 civilians were killed in a SINGLE RAID. To suggest the main reason for nuking them was to “scare the Russians” is convoluted-conspiracy jibberish. Any beneficial diplomatic posturing was serendipity at worst and a minor supporting argument at best.
Good job, man! Jonatan Netanyahu was the leader of the commandos, and the only Israeli soldier to lose his life. They were escorted by F-4s as far as the coast of Africa, and achieved total surprise, rescuing all but one hostage who was in a hospital in Entebbe.
Isradecals makes a fine set for the mission “First into Entebbe” which also includes the 103 Elephant squadron, all C-130s.
