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[Son of Damian]

I would imagine they would be rather long in the tooth if you were in constant (or relatively constant) combat as implied by the kill markings. Whist now days having an aircraft in frontline duty for 20 - 30 years is common, back then it wouldn't have been. Think about it - having a Ta-183 in 1950 would be equivalent to having a Bf-109E in front line duty in 1945! This short service life also carried through to the 1950s - just look at the short service lives of some of the cold war aircraft. Mind you, you could have it serving in a secondary role such as a close support role or advanced trainer.

If you think about it I doubt it would have been a problem.

Think about how slow US jet technology advanced before we got all that German test data. Had that not happened things would have moved much slower.

Look at the Mig-15, a half baked copy of the Ta-183, a design which the Russians enhanced to create the Mig-17. Its not unlikely that the Germans would have simply produced X number of the A model and left it at that without updating it.

And if you look at planes such as the F-86 and Mig-15 a large number of them stayed in front line service many years after they were obsolete. During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war Pakistans main fighter was the F-86, that was twenty years after the F-86 first saw combat!!!

So I would imagine that with slow allied jet development and continual upgrading by the Germans that the Ta-183 would have been a potent and capable fighter well into the late fifties and early sixties. Where upon it would have been increasingly been relegated to secondary fronts and duties.

[Gekko_1]

Think about how slow US jet technology advanced before we got all that German test data. Had that not happened things would have moved much slower.

Actually SoD that bring up an interesting thought.

How far behind would Allied Jet technology have been from 1945 to the 1950's since they wouldn't have had all that juicy German Jet test Data?

With the Ta-183, Me-262, He-162, Ar-234 and others operational and Germany having claimed Africa's natural resources "What If" Germany was able to hold-on to its Jet superiority?

Correct me if I'm mistaken, as I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject, but wasn't the only Allied Jets available as of 1945 the Meteor and the F-80 Shooting Star and  P-59 Airacomet?

What was on the drawing board that could have countered these German Jets prior to the Allies getting hold of the German Jet test data?

[Gekko_1]

Now we have wings and a cockpit!





Richard.

[Son of Damian]

I would imagine that the allies would have been franticly trying to get there hands on any German jets so they could examine it. Wheather that be the crashed remains, the hulk of one on an airfield that the SAS shot up, or an actual model that was acquired via some James Bond style operation!

Correct me if I'm mistaken, as I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject, but wasn't the only Allied Jets available as of 1945 the Meteor and the F-80 Shooting Star and P-59 Airacomet?

The only real allied jet during that time was the Meteor. The P-59 had poor performance and the P-80 was still in the development stage. I wouldn't be surprised that if there was a very serious need for jets that the Meteor would have been produced in America.

Given this situation more urgency could have been placed on the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 flying boat jet fighter design. It not only would have been useful in the Pacific but in Africa were suitable airfields are few and far between. It could operate from various rivers like the Nile and Congo as well as lakes like Victoria.

[GTX]

QUOTE
Correct me if I'm mistaken, as I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject, but wasn't the only Allied Jets available as of 1945 the Meteor and the F-80 Shooting Star and P-59 Airacomet?


The only real allied jet during that time was the Meteor. The P-59 had poor performance and the P-80 was still in the development stage. I wouldn't be surprised that if there was a very serious need for jets that the Meteor would have been produced in America.

The Lockheed P-80 would have been available in numbers in late 1945 - an initial deployment of some to England and even Italy did take place from late 1944/early 1945.  If the war were still actively going with the luftwaffe operating jets in Africa, I'm sure the development/operational deployment of this jet would have been a high priority.

Likewise, the deHavilland Vampire which first flew in September 1943, but which didn't actually reach active service until June, 1946 would have also been pushed more rapidly into service (remember many development plans slowed down once the war was finishing).

As to the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 flying boat jet fighter, this didn't actually fly until July of 1947.  However, as SoD mentions this too may have been rushed into service more quickly had there been a need.

Regards,

Greg