Me 262 HG V Interceptor and Night Fighter variantsWhen the outline plans for the ME 262 were first drawn up in April 1939, the original designs incorporated a wing which had a 35° sweep, proposed by Adolph Busemann, and was very different from the aircraft that first entered service. It was also intended to adopt wing root-mounted engines from the start, however, the progression of the original design was delayed greatly by technical issues involving the new jet engine. Because the engines were slow to arrive, Messerschmitt decided to move the engines from the wing roots to under-wing pods, allowing them to be changed more readily if needed. However as a consequence of the change, the wings were swept back slightly, by 18.5°, but only to compensate for the change to the centre of gravity. As the reliability of the engines improved the advantages of using a swept wing were fully realized. It is unfortunate that the primary role of the Me 262 as a world beating fighter, rather than a second rate, light-payload Schnellbomber ("fast bomber") was not appreciated at the outset, however, once this was realized, it formed the basis for the next generation of designs, all of which were dedicated fighter aircraft.
The Me 262 HG III was Similar to the first design, able to take full advantage of the huge improvements to engine reliability, which utilized the highly swept wing configuration with wing root mounted engines, mated to a conventional fuselage. The design proved very successful but, after listening to the critical comments from pilots, it was noted that the conventional stabilizer arrangement introduced a tendency for instability during high speed maneuvers and that forward visibility could be improved. It was decided to move the cockpit forward by 900mm and this greatly improved visibility as well as pilot's situational awareness when landing. The subsequent design, Me 262 HG V, with it's now distinctive stabilizer arrangement, was well liked by those who flew it and it proved reliable in front line service as well as a deadly foe. Wings were of single-spar cantilever construction, with stressed skins, varying from 3 mm (0.12 in) thick at the root to 1 mm (0.039 in) at the tip. The wings were fastened to the engine nacelle frames at four points, in a similar manner to previous construction, using a pair of 20 mm (0.79 in) and 42 8 mm (0.31 in) bolts.
The Me 262 HG VB was derived from the same basic fuselage. With the addition of external fuel tanks, which were needed to compensate for the reduction in internal capacity caused by inclusion of the radar operator, it proved to be a very successful night fighter. This became even more true once the dedicated, and very effective, Nachtjager Groups were formed, comprising both Me 262 HG VB and Ar 234 AWACS aircraft.
