One such “wunderwaffe” was the Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first functional jet aircraft.Though the plane was developed during the Second World War, the Germans understood the ...

With the Me 262, for instance, Messerschmitt had built the first ever turbojet plane. But there are several reasons why the Me 262 failed to have the impact on the war that it could have.

Nicknamed Schwalbe (Swallow), the Messerschmitt Me 262 surpassed the performance of every other World War II fighter. Faster than the North American P-51 Mustang by 190 kilometers (120 miles) per hour ...

By July 18, 1942, the Me 262 (now in its third version) flew for the first time, but serial production didn't begin until 1944. Almost unbeatable A Messerschmitt Me 262A cockpit at the National ...

Me 262 two-seaters were produced for training and night-fighting duties. It is believed that only 15 or so of the Me 262B-1a tandem two-seat trainers were converted into Me 262B-1a/U1 night fighters.

The Me 262 Swallow had a shape ideal for speed, but the Jumo 004 put out 1,980 lbs of thrust. This thrust translated into a top speed of 540 mph, while the Meteor F.8 could manage 598 mph.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe, meaning Swallow, held in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum was captured in 1945 by a special U.S. Army Air Force team led by Col. Harold Watson.

NASM. With a top speed of 540 mph, Germany's Messerschmitt Me 262 was by far the fastest fighter of World War II.It was powered by jet engines, a new technology that was not always reliable. Still ...

Nicknamed Schwalbe (Swallow), the Messerschmitt Me 262 surpassed the performance of every other World War II fighter. Faster than the North American P-51 Mustang by 190 kilometers (120 miles) per hour ...