The problem with the 262 was that Hitler wanted to use it as a bomber. If he had let them use it as a fighter it would have made a significant difference, but also there was a shortage of experienced pilots who could really fly it.....
The 262 was far better than any of the piston engined fighters of the day, faster, better climb rate etc.

Also, the ME262, though a superior fighter suffered from the allied bomber campaign up to that point.  The Junkers Jumo engines were built with inferior metalurgy just because so many production facilities had already been destroyed.  The ME262 went through engines.  That end up being a manufacturing and maintanence nightmare.  Also, they were built in underground facilities and employed a slave labor workforce.  I can imaging that causing a QC and speed of manufacturing issues.

I'm not sure that a single aircraft can change a war however good it might be. The nearest example I can think of is the P-51 Mustang in its new role as escort fighter in the 8th Air Force over Europe. This anonymous quote seems to sum the whole thing up. "The Mustang won't do what a Spitfire does, but it does it over Berlin". The Mustang was also available in large quantities. It was reliable & very effective in that role.

It's no use having the finest aircraft in the world if you don't use it to its best advantage. This depends on the situation at the time. Jets are thirsty & the Me 262 had a comparatively short range. Something like 500 miles compared with the 2,000 miles of the P-51 fitted with drop tanks. This made it more suitable as a defensive interceptor or a fighter-bomber. I haven't studied its performance or effective payload but most early jets were not that manoeuvrable. Its obvious role would be as an interceptor against the constant stream of Allied bombers attacking Germany at will. For that to be any use you need large numbers of aircraft & sufficient trained pilots to fly them. It would also be faced with large numbers of Allied escort fighters like the Mustang & vulnerable to attack at its bases. Quote:

Depending on where it was based it wouldn't have been suitable for anything in the medium-range offensive role except lightning raids over Britain. Get in, attack & get out fast. It would possibly have been very effective in the ground support role after the 1944 Allied invasion in the same way as the Typhoon, Tempest & P-47 which were all originally intended as high-performance fighters. In this case Hitler might not have been as stupid as he's made out to be.

Jet engines were very unreliable with a short service life long after WWII was over. This was not only a German problem but the manufacturing difficulties & lack of resources that dcunning mentions wouldn't have helped. I've seen it stated that the service life of the Jumo engines in the Me 262 was less than 10 hours before they needed replacement. Hardly an effective superweapon unless airframes & engines could be produced in large quanties & the pilots found to fly them.

Ozzy,  the ME262 DID NOT have a better climb rate then the piston fighters, the F8F Bearcat held all major time to climb records until a after burning Jet came along (again i blieve it was the F104),  IN FACT,  Bearcats held most time to climb records for piston powered single engine aircraft until the Exxon Mobil plane started breaking them with in the last few years.   AND, the Rare Bear still holds the record for climb to 10,000 feet at a hauling 1min 30 seconds i blieve.

Ive read a book on the Korean war conflict,  and most piston powered pilots did not fear the MIGS at all, as long as they kept an eye out,  as long as the Migs did not jump them,   the knew the Mig would never get behind them.  And I believe it the Corsair pilot who shot down a MIg, actually was out numbered 6 or 8 to 2 when he did so.

The only German plane I know of that MAY have made a difference, would have been the giant flying wing/jet bomber.   Cant recall the name/number on it, but it was top secret and was not to be available for first flights till something like 1946 even,  BUT if they would have been able to hold out, and produce that Jet,  its rumored it would have been able to take off in Berlin,  fly to say, New York, or Washington,  drop its payload (which could have been atomic by this point)  and then ditched in the Atlantic.   
Other the that, i dont see the ME262 or any of the others doing much.

The number of Mustangs, and Spitfires along would have done the job,  then add in the likes of the Last 2 cats, Super Corsairs, Sea Furys,  and the early Allied Jets.....   the numbers alone would have been enough.

True, rate of climb and top speed can be a disadvantage, but these attributes can come in handy when you need to flee an engagement to save your life.  Especially top speed.  But the probmen with the ME262 as with jets in general is they don't immediately accelerate.  There's always a lag.

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Not really fare to compare the 262 to the Bearcat as the Bearcat came much later and was designed as a fast carrier based fighter interceptor for service in the Pacific theatre. It was never destined for deployment in the ETO. I doubt the 262 would have caused much trouble to the Sea Fury (or Fury) for that matter. Neither type saw service in World War 2 and so don't really count as far as this discussion is concerned. Ozzy was making the comarison between the 262 and the piston engined aircraft it was most likely to come up against, such as the Spitfire IX and XIV, Tempest and Mustang.

Mathias with all due respect. Your coments are only half true. The P47 and P51 did take on the Luftwaffe best and beat them at their game.

Few Luftwaffe Aces where shot down before the Americans started to show up in significant numbers.

You have to remember that the Luftwaffe moved most of thier best air forces unit to the West after after the Battle of Kursk.

As matter of fact the Luftwaffe was at its peak in the middle of 1943.

Its no accident that it started to lost control of the skies over Europe Late 1943 and the spring of 1944.

I disagree with your assestment. What I found out thru much reading and in flying this Simulators is that Bf109 and Fw190 where nice planes but way overated.

I find the German piilots where the ones with their great team work that made this planes way better than they realy where.

I"m sorry but the P51 and the P47 where the better planes not to mention the SpitfireVIII and abouve.

I know you are a tremendous fan of the Fw190 and the Bf109 and that blinds you to reality. But thats the simple truth.

Its also true that the Eastern Front was where the Nazis lost the war. But it lost it in the ground not in the Air.

you are a smart and nice guy. Do not let your passion blind you.

Have a good day friend

This is just a opinion

James007