debris hitting engine was it common?

First time I got some debris to hit my engine. Totally destroyed the prop.

Anyone know if this was common in ww2?

First time I got some debris to hit my engine. Totally destroyed the prop.

 

Anyone know if this was common in ww2?

 

The aircraft was an Me-262, a jet aircraft with notorious reputation for engine reliability... `Prop` strikes were quite common when bits fell off aircraft, and they were common in air combat where guns were involved.

Yep. During Air Combat, you get too close to the target aircraft, you're liable to get hit by bits and pieces coming off of it, as the bullets, missiles, etc, strike it. Given the sensitivity of jet engines to FOD, it wouldn't take much to bring down the attacking aircraft, even if it didn't damage the target enough to bring the target down. Especially with the very early jet engines.

It was a learning curve. IF the ME-262 pilots survived, they'd come back and tell heir compadres how close was too close. It was a fine line. Close enough the guns would be effective, but not so close the target brought them down, either instead of, or also. Of course, if the ME-262 pilot didn't survive, well, they couldn't report back. Just another pilot lost. Why? Who knew? It was war.

One reason they utilized the "dive down fast from high above, and swoop down and away after a single pass through the bomber formations" tactics. Not only would it give them the element of surprize, so the bomber crews couldn't accurately shoot at them, hopefully, but also the escorting fighters couldn't attack, as, by the time they were discovered, they were long gone. Again, hopefully :)

It would also ensure the least amount of opportunity for the debris coming off the bombers they shot up to FOD them out.

They faced, really, 2 other problems, too. First, the fighters learned early on that the 262's were low-n-slow, and thus, couldn't maneuver to escape when they were in the landing pattern, so the fighters would hang out near the known air bases, and gun the heck out of them as they tried to land. A duck shoot, really.

The other problem they faced was that Hitler, "military genius" he (claimed) was, was adamant in his demands that they be used as bombers, not fighters, and had a number of little snits about it.

They would also, often, get FODed, either during taxiing, or take off, when the engine's suction was at it's highest, and the intakes closest to the ground. This was before the days of FOD walks, or even FOD awareness. Remember, a lot of airfields were still the "grass runway" types, and who knew WHAT was strewn around on the ground? Even small rocks, sticks, whatever, would be enough to destroy an engine. Still are, but now, FOD walks are a common, and rigorously enforced, ocurrance. Of course, most of the squadron officers are pilots now, so you can't blame them for wanting good quality FOD walks :D

Have fun, and watch out for FOD!

Pat☺