Me 262 A-1/U4

Me 262 A-1/U4

Fw 190 F-8

Me 262 A-1a/Jabo

Me 262 A-1/U4

Fw 190 F-8

Me 262 A-1a/Jabo

Germany

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	6.3	6.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:71 000

Purchase:210 000

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This page is about the 50mm-armed Me 262 A-1/U4. For planes of similar make, see Me 262 (Family).

Description

The Me 262 A-1/U4 Pulkzerstörer is a rank IV German jet fighter with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB), 6.3 (RB), and 6.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.41.

The Me262 A-1/U4 Pulkzerstorer "Narwhal" is the standard Me 262 A-1 armed with a single 50 mm MK 214A cannon in the nose instead of four 30 mm MK 108.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	824	798	12500	29.0	30.0	16.0	15.0	750
Upgraded	909	865		27.7	28.0	24.5	20.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	X	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1050	450	580	580	380	~11	~5

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 500	< 600	< 680	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Empty mass			Wing loading (full fuel)
Junkers Jumo 004B-1		2	4,280 kg			287 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)					Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		16m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	53m fuel
720 kg	Axial-flow turbojet		4,894 kg	5,041 kg	5,409 kg	5,961 kg	6,255 kg	6,520 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB / SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (100%)
Condition	100%	WEP	16m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	53m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	910 kgf	N/A	0.37	0.36	0.34	0.30	0.29	0.28
Optimal	910 kgf (0 km/h)	N/A	0.37	0.36	0.34	0.30	0.29	0.28

Survivability and armour

• 15 mm Steel - Behind the pilot
• 15 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest
• 15 mm Steel - Between cockpit and fore fuel tank
• 15 mm Steel - Instrument panel plate
• 90 mm Bulletproof glass

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Me 262 A-1/U4 is armed with:

• 1 x 50 mm MK 214A cannon (32 rpg = 32 total)

The single 50 mm cannon barrel extends out the nose of the aircraft.

Usage in battles

The main tactic to use against bombers is a head-on attack or a long-range shot. Aim for the large fuselage, as the 50 mm HEI-T shell will obliterate any plane it hits in one or two shots or will knock out the pilot. In a deflection shot from above, a 50 mm HEI-T to the wing almost always shreds the entire wing of the enemy or severely damages the wing to the extent a bomber will be unable to fly. A high dive from behind the bomber will offer the biggest and easiest target, but this should be avoided against the B-29.

A common set-up for an advantageous position in the battle is for the Me 262 to speed up to approximately 450 km/h, then immediately climb to the side by utilizing the jet's effective climb rate and energy retention. Continue to climb until you reach around 5000 m then build up speed to hunt down enemy planes, fighters and bombers alike.

Compared to other fighter-jets, the "Pulkzerstörer" has an extraordinarily long-range hitting power. A long-range shot can be attempted! Do not be afraid to shoot from up to 1.2 km away, as the 50 mm is very accurate especially when the upgrade is unlocked. Furthermore, AI gunners will not engage you if you are attacking from farther than 660 m.

Unlike the other Me 262s the MK 214A has a great bullet trajectory making shots above 500 m (1,600 ft) very easy. Even shots up to 1,500 m (1 mile) are a common feat and unlike the American .50 cal M3 Browning the hitting power does not decline over distance.

The Mk 214A 50 mm cannon has extremely low accuracy in stock configuration. Unlocking the upgraded cannon is a must.

When used against ground targets other than AA batteries and lightly armored vehicles, the HVAP or AP-T belts will be effective. Medium Tanks will be destroyed by one direct hit with either type of shell from most angles, though the HVAP shells are more forgiving in this area, and can destroy Heavy Tanks if shot in the sides, rear, or roof. Light Pillboxes can be destroyed with a few hits using a high-angle dive (shooting through the roof), and from the side they can be destroyed by 4-5 hits; but in order to make sure you can pull out in time, start firing from a distance away if you want to destroy it in one pass. in Ground battles, use the same tactics. Equipping the AP-T belt is the most versatile if you are unsure of what types of targets you will hunt, as each shell contains an explosive filler which is more likely to detonate ammo or ignite fires in tanks or SPAA's of mixed battles, and will also deal adequate damage to any aircraft, especially if aimed at a larger module like an engine, in which it will explode.

Ammunition usage

Armored Targets Belt A
The AP-T belt is a good omni-purpose round, though expect some shots to pass right through aircraft structures and do no damage. The AP-T contains an explosive filler which can detonate inside the fuselage of a plane or inside of a tank. In most scenarios, the first hit will damage the aircraft (or in rare cases set it on fire), and the second will be the final blow. In Ground Forces, aim for the roofs of tanks or the rear of tanks within 500 meters to be effective. A well-placed shot to the ammunition of any tank will detonate the ammunition in most cases

Armored Targets Belt B
HVAP is extremely effective against ground targets and can penetrate up to 108 mm within 500 meters. However, it lacks any explosive filler. Shots to planes will almost always result in the shell going straight through the plane with little or no damage. That being said; shots to critical components on planes such as wing spars or the fuselage may result in that component being blown off entirely.

Air Targets
The HEI-T (Minengeschoß) will obliterate any plane on the first or second hit. If even one shell lands on an enemy, the enemy plane is at least critically damaged and will likely crash over time. Only in rare cases will this shell fail to destroy an enemy on the second shot (such as shooting the very end of a wing or elevator, or a heavily armoured fuselage). The B-29 is the only tough nut to crack with this ammunition due to its sheer size; aim for the wings or engines.

Aim well, and you will be rewarded.
Do not overcompensate for the lead when aiming for planes- the 50 mm travels very quickly and in most cases (under 600 meters) only a little lead is necessary.

Specific enemies worth noting

Against piston-fighters, energy advantage is a must- as with the standard Me262A-1. Do not dogfight with piston aircraft. Use energy tactics- always boom and zoom. Against fighters it is important to monitor ammunition as the Mk.214a only has 32 shots before a reload is needed. Most passes will only allow you to take 2 or 3 shots before you must reset the position and try again. Head-ons are a viable tactic (some enemies will fear facing a 50 mm and will actively try to avoid doing so), but engage from a long distance- even if you survive the pass, the Narwhal has very fragile engines.

Jet fighters are the biggest threat to the Narwhal. All jet-fighters will out-climb and out-accelerate you, and your gun has a very slow rate of fire. Thus, the Narwhal is often seen as an easy target. However, the Me 262 family is known for being manoeuvrable at low-speeds when compared to other Jets at its rank. Use your superior low-speed agility to avoid as many passes as you can, then punish a greedy enemy with a well-aimed 50 mm shell.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair		Offensive 50 mm
II	Compressor	Airframe
III	Wing Repair		New 50 mm Cannons
IV	Engine	Cover

Research the ammo belts ASAP! The mixed ammo belt is a nightmare. The stock ammo line up (HE(M)-T + HE-T + APHE) has only one effective anti-air round, the other two lack the one-shot ability for such a precise weapon. Unlocking the belts and the 'New 50 mm Cannon' should be your highest priority, as the stock cannon has a large dispersion radius which nearly requires the pilot to shoot within 500m for an accurate hit. After this compressor and engine should be the next target as each one improves the acceleration of the "Pulkzerstörer" which is due to the design of all Schwalbe jets just short of awful. The remaining upgrades can be chosen at leisure. The cannon is not prone to overheat and top speed is not something to worry about as the 262 can only reach it with a dive anyway.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 50 mm minengeschoß will obliterate any enemy in one or two shots, especially effective against bombers
• Faster than its propeller mounting opposition
• Capable of long-range attacks
• Me-262 family are manoeuvrable against jets at lower speeds
• Excellent ground-attacker with HVAP-T shells
• Often seen as an easy target which will result in enemy pilots making mistakes which can be exploited
• Engine pods can be used as high-friction landing gear to make high speed (approx 400 km/h) emergency landings for rearming and repair, avoiding any serious damage to the structural integrity of the aircraft

Cons:

• Low energy will result in the Me 262's failing against a capable opponent
• Low rate of fire, especially considering that it will be facing a lot of fast-moving jets and nimble prop aircraft which is not the primary target for the 50 mm gun
• Horrendous stock accuracy in conjunction with poor stock ammunition
• Low ammo capacity of 32 rounds of ammo
• Historically weak Jumo 004 engines have average acceleration and as with most Me 262's, the take-off run is relatively long
• Some unlucky shots will pass right through your enemy, inflicting no damage (especially the case of HVAP rounds)
• Performance drop at higher altitudes
• Exposed engines that are very prone to damage, and will quickly deteriorate if damaged

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Videos

The Shooting Range #174 - Pages of History section at 04:45 discusses the Me 262 "Schwalbe".

Best Combo #1 discusses the Me 262 A-1/U4 at 5:30 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.