Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyJWest
Why would it be more stealthy - even accepting that such concepts were relevant during WW 2, which is unlikely - I've seen no evidence whatsoever that the Nazis understood stealth technology. And what has 'vertical takeoff' and 'rapid change of direction' got to do with the known characteristics of saucer-shaped aiircraft?
It doesn't surprise me that you wouldn't be surprised if the US had a flying saucer. It would surprise me if they did.
Was it? Can you back this statement up with evidence? I thought that the primary objectives during the 'end game' was to (a) destroy German military opposition, and (b) establish control over territory. Given that almost all significant military/technological advances made in the succeeding few decades were based on knowledge already in the hands of the Allies, chasing after a few scientists and technicians may have been a worthwile sideline, but it was hardly a priority.
Yes, the US 'captured/attracted' Werner Von Braun, and later landed a man on the Moon. But the Soviet Union didn't capture him, and still got a man into space before the Americans. Then again, they had been working on liquid-fuel rockets before the Nazis anyway.
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Oh my, large questions maybe not suited to this forum.
RADAR was used during WWII. The Germans were developing the Horten bomber which was less visible to RADAR with it's design that was, surprise, not unlike the B2 Stealth bomber (which was not unlike the YB-49 right down to the wing span).
RADAR was a HUGE reason that the Brits won the Battle of Britain. The Germans knew this eventually and even employed their own RADAR systems. It is only logical that they would have been aware of the advantages of avoiding/delaying detection by RADAR.
Why would the Canadians, Americans, and Brits have put resources into saucer research after WWII if they did not think their were some advantages to the shape? would it be advantageous for an airship to be able to take off vertically? I guess so, we got the Harrier eventually. Would there be an advantage to an aircraft with a very low stall speed? I guess, many aircraft have that as a design element. Ability to rapidly change directions important? I guess, we even throw in vectored thrust these days.
If you do not know about the race to capture German scientists, it would be an interesting research project for you. No offense to the Russians on this board, but I am sure they are aware that there was a special antipathy between the Soviets and Germans in WWII. If any two sides fought an all out, no holds barred war, those two nations did. It would be an understatement to say that there was no love lost.
German scientists (and soldiers and many of importance) did everything they could to surrender to American or British forces rather than to Soviet forces. Quite frankly, they were afraid of what might befall them under the Soviets....probably because of the way the Germans had treated the Soviets during the war.
One of the biggest "prizes" that the Soviets garnered from the German technology and scientists/technicians they captured was their aircraft designs. There was a reason the Soviets beat the Americans to the punch in fielding the Mig 15 in Korea. It went back to what they captured in WWII from Germany. The Americans copied the soviet design later just like the Soviets copied the American nuclear and rocket technology (the rocket technology for the Americans was greatly enhanced by the Germans as you know).
Understand that the Americans and soviets did not trust each other. The Brits trusted the Soviets even less. The future Cold War was already brewing. Some Americans (and Brits) wanted to take the war all the way into the Soviet Union and get rid of Stalin. In Europe, the Brits and Americans raced the Soviets for the prizes of war at the end. The Soviets got to Berlin first....and then we had the Berlin airlift as a direct result a few years later.
There was real competition at the end of the war, once it was decided, to procure the best prizes in preparing for the future.
I'm an American and of course proud of my country over all. But, that doesn't mean that I can discount the effectiveness of the Axis powers in certain areas, like scientific advances. They weren't dummies and we were not ahead in all areas. The victors did all they could to reap the rewards.
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