(Messerschmitt) Me 262 Schwalbe @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe ("Swallow" in German) was the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. It was officially named Schwalbe because the swallow, when in a dive, is one of the fastest birds known. German pilots nicknamed it the "Turbo," while the Allies called it the "Stormbird." While the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war (approximately 150 Allied aircraft losses for 100 Me 262 losses), its design had a strong influence on postwar aircraft development.

Although often viewed as a last-ditch superweapon, the Me 262 was already being developed as project P-1065 before the start of World War II. Plans were first drawn up in April 1939, and the original design was very similar to the plane that would eventually enter service. The progression of the original design into service was delayed by a lack of funds, as many high-ranking officials thought that the war could easily be won with conventional aircraft, and therefore most of the available government funds were used for the production of other aircraft.

The aircraft was originally designed as a tail-dragger and the first (Me 262 V1) through fourth (-V4) prototypes flew with this configuration, but it was discovered on an early test run that the engines and wings "blanked" the stabilizers, giving almost no control on the ground. Changing to a tricycle landing gear arrangement, initially as a fixed undercarriage on the fifth prototype aircraft, then a fully retractable one on the sixth and succeeding prototypes, immediately corrected all of these problems.

Although it is often stated that the Me 262 is a "swept wing" design, the production Me 262 had a leading edge sweep of 18.5°. This was done primarily to properly position the center of lift relative to the centre of mass and not for the aerodynamic benefit of increasing the critical Mach number of the wing. (The sweep was too slight to achieve any significant advantage.) This happened after the initial design of the aircraft, when the engines proved to be heavier than originally expected. Instead of moving the engines rearward on their mounts, the whole wing was bent slightly backwards to the same end.

The first test flights began in April 1941, but since the BMW 003 turbojets were not ready for fitting, a conventional Junkers Jumo 210 engine was mounted in the nose, driving a propeller, to test the Me 262 V1 airframe. When the BMW 003 engines were finally installed the Jumo was retained for safety which proved wise as both 003s failed during the first flight and the pilot had to land using the nose mounted engine alone.

The V3 third prototype airframe became a true "jet" when it flew on 18 July 1942 in Leipheim near Günzburg, Germany, piloted by Fritz Wendel. This was almost nine full months ahead of the British Gloster Meteor's first flight on 5 March 1943. The 003 engines, which were proving unreliable, were replaced by the newly available Junkers Jumo 004. Test flights continued over the next year but the engines continued to be unreliable. The production of the aircraft was slowed mainly by engine trouble; the claim that an order from Adolf Hitler that the new Me 262 must also be part bomber contributed significantly to the delays in getting the Me 262 into operation seems to be a myth. Airframe modifications were complete by 1942, but hampered by the lack of engines, serial production did not begin until 1944. This delay in engine availability was in part due to the shortage of strategic materials, especially metals and alloys that could handle the extreme temperatures produced by the jet engine. Even when the engines were completed they had an expected operational lifetime of approximately 50 hours, however in the real world situations, most 004s lifetimes were 12 hours. A pilot familiar with the Me 262 and its engines could expect approximately 20 to 25 hours of life from the 004s. The swap out of 004s was listed as a job able to be done in three hours, but changeouts typically took eight to nine hours due to poorly made parts and inadequate training of ground crews.

Turbojet engines have less thrust at low speed than piston engines and as a result, acceleration is relatively poor. It was more noticeable for the Me 262 as early jet engines (before the invention of afterburners) responded slowly to throttle changes. The introduction of a primitive autothrottle late in the war only helped slightly. Conversely, the higher power of jet engines at higher speeds meant the Me 262 enjoyed a much higher climb speed. Used tactically, this gave the jet fighter an even greater speed advantage in climb rate than level flight at top speed.

With one engine out, the Me 262 still flew well, with speeds of 280 to 310 mph (450 to 500 km/h). However it was highly recommended to avoid attempting to land with one engine out as it was considered a hazard.

Operationally, the Me 262 had an endurance of 60 to 90 minutes.

Operational history

In April 1944, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld, in Bavaria, as a test unit to introduce the 262 into service and train a core of pilots to fly it. Major Walter Nowotny was assigned as Commander in July 1944, and the unit redesignated Kommando Nowotny. Kommando Nowotny was essentially a trials and development unit, but it holds the distinction of being the world's first jet fighter squadron. Trials continued slowly with initial operational missions against the Allies in August 1944, allegedly downing 19 Allied aircraft for six Me 262s lost, although these claims have never been verified by cross-checking with USAAF records. The RAF Museum holds no intelligence reports of RAF aircraft engaging in combat with an Me 262 in August 1944,although there is a report of an unarmed encounter between an Me 262 and a DH98 Mosquito. Nowotny himself was shot down and killed on 8 November 1944 by 1st Lt Edward "Buddy" Haydon of the 357th Fighter Group, USAAF and Capt Ernest "Feeb" Fiebelkorn of the 20th Fighter Group, USAAF. The "Kommando" was then withdrawn for further training and a revision of combat tactics to optimise the 262's strengths.

By January 1945, Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG7) had been formed as a pure jet fighter unit, although it would be several weeks before it was operational. In the meantime a bomber unit-I Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG54)-had re-equipped with the Me 262 for use in a ground attack and fighter role. However, the unit lost 12 jets in action in two weeks for minimal returns.

Jagdverband 44 (JV44) was another Me 262 fighter unit formed in February, by Lieutenant General Adolf Galland, who had recently been dismissed as Inspector of Day Fighters. Galland was able to draw into the unit many of the most experienced and decorated Luftwaffe fighter pilots from other units grounded by lack of fuel.

During March, Me 262 fighter units were thus able, for the first time, to deliver large scale attacks on Allied bomber formations. On March 18, 1945, 37 Me 262s of JG7 intercepted a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters. They managed to shoot down 12 bombers and one fighter for the loss of three Me 262s. Although a four-to-one ratio was exactly what the Luftwaffe would have needed to make an impact on the war, the absolute scale of their success was minor as it represented only one per cent of the attacking force. In 1943 and early 1944, the USAAF had been able to keep up offensive operations though enduring loss ratios of 5% and more, and the few available Me 262s could not inflict sufficient magnitude of losses.

Several two-seater "B" trainer variants of the Me 262 had been adapted as night fighters, complete with on-board radar and "deerhorn" antennae. Serving with 10 Staffel, Nachtjagdgeschwader 11, Night Fighter Unit, near Berlin, these few aircraft (alongside several single seat examples) accounted for most of the 13 Mosquitoes lost over Berlin in the first three months of 1945. However, actual intercepts were generally or entirely made using Wilde Sau methods, rather than AI radar-controlled interception. As the two-seat trainer was largely unavailable many pilots had to do their first flight in a jet in a single seater without an instructor.

Despite its deficiencies, the Me 262 was clearly signalling the beginning of the end of piston-engined aircraft as efficient fighting machines. Once airborne, it accelerated to speeds well over 800 km/h (500 mph), over 150 km/h (93 mph) faster than any Allied fighter operational in the European Theater of Operations.

The Me 262's top ace was probably Hauptmann Franz Schall with 17 kills which included six four-engine bombers and ten P-51 fighters, although night fighter ace Oberleutnant Kurt Welter claimed 25 Mosquitos and two four-engined bombers shot down by night and two further Mosquitos by day flying the Me 262. The vast majority of Welter's claimed night kills were achieved in standard radarless aircraft, even though Welter had tested a prototype Me 262 fitted with Neptun radar. Another candidate for top ace on the aircraft was Heinrich Bär, who claimed 16 enemy aircraft while flying the Me 262.

Anti-bomber tactics

The standard approach against bomber formations, which were travelling at cruise speed, called for the Me 262 to approach the bombers from the rear at a higher altitude, diving in below the bombers flight level to get additional speed before gaining altitude again and opening fire at the bomber's level with its four 30 mm cannon at 600 m (656 yard) range.

Allied bomber gunners found that their electric gun turrets had problems tracking the jets. However, due to the jets' straight-line approach, traverse rates were actually not as important as target acquisition itself, which was difficult because the jets closed into firing range very quickly and had to remain in firing position only very briefly using their standard attack profile.

Eventually new combat tactics were developed to counter the allied bombers defenses. Me 262s equipped with large numbers of R4M rockets would approach from the side of a bomber formation where their silhouettes were widest and, while still out of range of the .50 caliber guns, fire a salvo of these explosive rockets. The explosive power of only one or two of these rockets was capable of downing even the famously rugged B-17. While this tactic came too late to have a real effect on the war, it was nonetheless effective. This method of combating bombers became the standard until the invention and mass deployment of the guided missile. Some nicknamed this tactic the "Luftwaffe's Wolf Pack" as the fighters would often make runs in groups of two or three, fire their rockets, then return to base.

On 1 September 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz expressed the fear that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses to the USAAF bombers heavy enough to cause cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive.

Counter-jet tactics

Many accounts from Allied bomber crews cited that they were surprised by the speed of the Me 262. Allied intelligence was aware of German jet development, but not all combat units were fully briefed about the Me 262, and it is probably true to say that Allied intelligence slightly underestimated the speed of the Me 262.

Tactics against the Me 262 developed quickly to find ways of defeating it despite its great speed advantage. Allied bomber escort fighters would fly high above the bombers- diving from this height gave them extra speed thus reducing the speed advantage of the Me 262. The Me 262 was less maneuverable than the P-51 and trained Allied pilots could catch up to a turning Me 262; but the only reliable way of dealing with the jets was to attack them in the takeoff and landing phase of their flight, and on the ground. Accordingly, Luftwaffe air fields that were recognized as jet bases were frequently bombed by medium bombers, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets that were trying to land on their bases. The Luftwaffe countered these moves by installing Flak alleys along the approach lines in order to protect the Me 262s from the ground, and providing top cover with conventional fighters during the takeoff and landing phase. Nevertheless in March and April 1945 Allied fighter patrol patterns over Me 262 airfields resulted in numerous losses of the jets and serious attrition of the force.

Another experimental tactic was installing nitrous oxide injection into Mustangs. When chasing an Me 262, the pilot could press a button injecting the nitrous oxide into the engine, producing a quick burst of speed.

Other Allied fighters that encountered the Me 262 included the British Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Tempest and the Soviet Lavochkin La-7. The first recorded Allied destruction of a Me 262 was on 28 August 1944, claimed as destroyed by 78th FG pilots Major Joseph Myers and 2nd Lt. Manford O. Croy flying P-47s. Oberfeldwebel Hieronymus "Ronny" Lauer of KG 51, on a landing pattern crash landed his 262 to get away from the Allied fighters, which then destroyed the Me 262 in strafing attacks. The first Me 262 shot down in combat was on 5 October 1944 by Spitfire IX's of 401 RCAF. The 262 pilot was H.C. Butmann in WNr 170093 of 3./KG51. The Lavochkin was the only Soviet fighter to shoot down a German jet, with La-7 ace Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub fighting and downing one Me 262 jet on February 15, 1945 over eastern Germany. Kozhedub apparently later said that his success was mainly due to the Me 262 pilot attempting to out-turn his more maneuverable plane.

High speed research

Willy Messerschmitt regarded the Me 262 as it went into production only as an interim type.

Swept wings had been proposed as early as 1935 by Adolf Busemann, and Willy Messerschmitt had researched the topic from 1940. In April 1941, he actually proposed to fit a 35° swept wing (Pfeilflügel II, lit. Arrow wing) to the Me 262. Though this suggestion was not implemented, he continued with the projected HG II and HG III high-speed derivatives of the Me 262 in 1944, which were designed with a 35° and 45° wing sweep respectively.

His interest in high-speed flight that had led him to initiate work on swept wings starting in 1940 is evident from the advanced developments he had on his drawing board in 1944. While the Me 262 HG I (Hochgeschwindigkeit, high speed) that was actually flight-tested in 1944 had only small changes compared to combat aircraft, most notably a low-profiled canopy to reduce drag, the HG II and HG III designs were far more radical. The projected HG II variant combined the low-drag canopy with a 35° wing sweep and a butterfly tail. The HG III aircraft had a conventional tail, but a 45° wing sweep and the jet turbines embedded in the wing root.

Messerschmitt also conducted a series of carefully controlled flight tests with the series production Me 262. In these dive tests, it was established that the Me 262 was out of control in a dive at Mach 0.86, and that higher Mach numbers would lead to a nose-down trim that could not be countered by the pilot. The resulting steepening of the dive would lead to even higher speeds and disintegration of the airframe due to excessive negative g loads.

The HG series of Me 262 derivatives was estimated to be capable of reaching transonic Mach numbers in level flight, with the top speed of the HG III being projected as Mach 0.96 at 6 km altitude. Despite the necessity to gain experience in high-speed flight for the HG II and III designs, Messerschmitt undertook no attempts to exceed the Mach 0.86 limit for the Me 262.

After the war, the Royal Aircraft Establishment, at that time one of the leading institutions in high-speed research, re-tested the Me 262 to help with the British attempts at breaking the sound barrier. The RAE achieved speeds of up to Mach 0.84 and confirmed the results from the Messerschmitt dive tests as accurate. Similar tests were run by the Soviets. No attempts were made to exceed the Mach limit established by Messerschmitt.

After Willy Messerschmitt's death, the former Me 262 pilot Hans Guido Mutke claimed to be the first person to break the sound barrier on 9 April 1945 in a Me 262, in a "straight-down" 90° dive. This claim is disputed because it is only based on Mutke's memory of the incident, which recalls effects that other Me 262 pilots have observed below the speed of sound and a high airspeed indicator reading, but no altitude reading, which would be required to determine the actual speed. Furthermore, the pitot tube used to measure airspeed in aircraft can give falsely elevated readings as the pressure builds up inside the tube at high speeds. Finally, the Me 262 wing had only a slight sweep incorporated for trim (center of gravity) reasons and likely would have suffered structural failure due to divergence at high trans-sonic speeds.

Production

As the Me 262 was widely-regarded as the Luftwaffe's top priority, all expendable materials were put into 262 production. While Germany was bombed repeatedly, production of the Me 262 was dispersed into low-profile production facilities, sometimes little more than clearings in the forests of Germany and other occupied nations. Large, heavily protected underground factories were constructed to take up production of the Me 262, safe from bomb attacks, but the war ended before they could be completed. Per German doctrine at the time, several components of the Me 262 were built in forced labor camps. In the end, slightly over 1400 Me 262s of all versions were produced. Due to fuel shortages, pilot shortages, and the lack of many airfields that could support the Me 262 (concrete runways were recommended as the jet engines would melt tar runways), as few as 200 Me 262s made it to combat units.

Postwar history

After the end of the war the Me 262 as well as other advanced German technology was quickly swept up by the Americans, British and Soviets. Many Me 262s were found in readily-repairable condition and were confiscated. During testing, the Me 262 was found to have advantages over the early models of Gloster Meteor. It was faster, had better cockpit visibility to the sides and rear (mostly due to the canopy frame and the discoloration caused by the plastics used in the Meteor's construction) and was a superior gun platform; as the early Meteors had a tendency to snake at high speed and exhibited "weak" aileron response. The Me 262 did have a shorter combat range than the Meteor.

The USAAF compared the P-80 and Me 262 concluding : "Despite a difference in gross weight of nearly 2,000 lb (907 kg), the Me 262 was superior to the P-80 in acceleration, speed and approximately the same in climb performance. The Me 262 apparently has a higher critical Mach number, from a drag standpoint, than any current Army Air Force fighter." The Army Air Force also tested an example of the Me 262A-1a/U3, an unarmed photoreconnaissance version, which was fitted with a fighter nose and given an overall smooth finish. It was used for performance comparisons against the P-80. During testing in May-August 1946, the aircraft completed eight flights spanning four hours and 40 minutes. Testing was discontinued after four engine changes were required during the course of the tests, culminating in two single-engine landings.

These aircraft were extensively studied, aiding development of early US and Soviet jet fighters. The F-86 Sabre was greatly influenced by many features of the Me 262. The F-86, designed by the engineer Edgar Schmued, used a slat design similar to that of the Me 262.

The Czechoslovak aircraft industry continued to produce single-seater and two-seater variants of the Me 262 after World War II. These were kept flying as late as 1957. Both versions are on display at the Prague Aero museum in Kbely.

In January 2003, the American Me 262 Project completed flight testing to allow for delivery of near-exact reproductions of several versions of the Me 262 including at least two B-1c two-seater variants, one A-1c single seater and two "convertibles" that could easily be converted between the A-1c and B-1c configurations. All are powered by General Electric J85 engines and feature additional safety features such as upgraded brakes and strengthened landing gear. The "c" suffix refers to the new J-85 powerplant and has been informally assigned with the approval of the Messerschmitt Foundation in Germany. Flight testing of the first newly-manufactured Me 262 A-1c (single seat) variant was completed in August, 2005. The first of these machines was destined for private ownership in the southwestern United States, while the second was delivered to the Messerschmitt Foundation at Manching, Germany.

Variants

  • A-1a "Schwalbe" : Production version, fighter and fighter bomber.
  • A-1a/U1 : Single prototype with a total of six nose mounted guns, two 20 mm MG 151 cannon, two 30 mm MK 103, and two 30 mm MK 108 cannon.
  • A-1a/U2 : Single prototype with FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 radar array and Hirschgeweih antenna array in order to test the Me 262 as a night-fighter.
  • A-1a/U3 : Reconnaissance version modified in small numbers, fitted RB 20/30 cameras mounted in the nose (sometimes one RB 20/20 and one RB 75/30). Some retained one 30 mm cannon as armament, but most were unarmed.
  • A-1a/U4 : Bomber destroyer version, two prototypes with an adapted 50 mm anti-tank gun in nose.
  • A-1b : As A-1a but powered with BMW 003 engines. Few built, two are known to have existed at experimental establishments; maximum speed of 497 mph (800 km/h).
  • A-2a "Sturmvogel" : Definitive bomber version with only the upper two guns.
  • A-2a/U1 : Single prototype with advanced bombsight.
  • A-2a/U2 : Two prototypes with glazed nose for accommodating a bombardier.
  • A-3a : Proposed ground attack version.
  • A-4a : Reconnaissance version.
  • A-5a : Definitive reconnaissance version used in small numbers at end of the war.
  • B-1a : Two-seat trainer.
  • B-1a/U1 : B-1a trainers converted into provisional night fighters, FuG 218 Neptun radar
  • B-2 : Proposed night fighter version with stretched fuselage.
  • C-1a : Single prototype (made from Me 262A Werknummer 130 186) of rocket-boosted interceptor (Heimatschützer I) with Walter 109-509 rocket in tail, first flown with combined jet/rocket power on February 27, 1945.
  • C-2b : Single prototype (made from Me 262A Werknummer 170 074) of rocket-boosted interceptor (Heimatschützer II) with two BMW 003R "combined" powerplants (BMW 003 jet, with one BMW 718 rocket engine mounted atop the rear of each jet exhaust) for boosted thrust, only flown once with combined jet/rocket power on March 26, 1945.
  • C-3a : Single prototype of rocket-boosted interceptor with Walter rockets in belly pack.
  • D-1 : Proposed variant to carry Jagdfaust mortars.
  • E-1 : Proposed cannon-armed variant based on A-1a/U4.
  • E-2 : Proposed rocket-armed variant carrying up to 48 R4M rockets.

Postwar variants :

  • Avia S-92 : Czech built Me 262 A-1a.
  • Avia CS-92 : Czech built Me 262 B-1a.
  • A-1c : American privately built, based on A-1a configuration.
  • B-1c : American privately built, based on B-1a configuration.
  • A/B-1c : American privately built, convertible between A-1a and B-1a configuration.

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Source : Article Messerschmitt Me 262 of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (Me 262 A-1a)

  • Length : 10.60 m (34 ft 9 in).
  • Height : 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in).
  • Wingspan : 12.51 m (41 ft 0 in).
  • Wing area : 21.7 m² (or 234 sq ft).
  • Empty weight : 3,800 kg (8,400 lbs).
  • Loaded weight : 7,130 kg (or 15,720 lbs).
  • Max takeoff weight : 6,400 kg (14,100 lbs).
  • Maximum speed : 870 km/h (or 541 mph).
  • Range : 1,050 km (or 652 mi).
  • Service ceiling : 11,450 m (or 37,500 ft).
  • Rate of climb : 1,200 m/min (or 3,900 ft/min).
  • Thrust to weight ratio : 0.28.
  • Powerplant : Two Junkers Jumo 004B-1 turbojets, 8.8 kN (or 1,980 lbf) each.
  • Armament : Four 30 mm MK 108 cannons (two cannons for the A-2a), two 550 lb bombs for the A-2a only and 2.2 in R4M rockets.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Messerschmitt Me 262 of Wikipedia ( authors )
Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe : Your comments on this subject
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    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).