Builders of a modern version of the ME-262 WWII jet fighter say their prototype will be back in the air in three to six months after a landing accident Jan. 18. Bob Hammer, the driving force behind the ME-262 project, said the left main gear collapsed after its first flight with the gear retracted. A double failure of the electric hydraulic pump and gear lock actuator led to the collapse. The plane skidded off the runway to settle nose-first in a ditch. Pilot Wolf Czaia was not hurt. Hammer said the plane suffered mainly sheet-metal damage and will be relatively easy to repair. Addressing the gear problem will take longer. “I’m going to re-engineer the whole landing gear system,” he said. As for the double failure, “We could have handled either one on its own but not both of them together,” said Hammer. He said the gear was cycled more than 100 times on the ground before the flight and it worked perfectly. The group recently announced it has sold two 262s, one for $2 million to a retired lawyer who plans to fly it in air shows, and another to a German museum. Three more will be sold.
Gear Collapse Delays ME-262
Key Takeaways:
- A prototype of the modern ME-262 replica project sustained minor sheet-metal damage and skidded into a ditch after its left main landing gear collapsed during a landing on January 18th; the pilot was unharmed.
- The accident was attributed to a double failure involving the electric hydraulic pump and gear lock actuator, prompting plans to re-engineer the entire landing gear system.
- The project anticipates the prototype will return to flight within three to six months following repairs and system re-engineering.
- Despite the incident, the project has successfully sold two ME-262 replicas for $2 million each—one to a retired lawyer for air shows and another to a German museum—with three more expected to be sold.
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