Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Messerschmitt Me 262 shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Messerschmitt Me 262 offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Messerschmitt Me 262 at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Messerschmitt Me 262? Wrong! If the Messerschmitt Me 262 is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Messerschmitt Me 262 then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Messerschmitt Me 262? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Messerschmitt Me 262 and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Messerschmitt Me 262 wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Messerschmitt Me 262 then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Messerschmitt Me 262 site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Messerschmitt Me 262, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Messerschmitt Me 262, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{infobox Aircraft |name =Me 262 |type =Fighter |manufacturer =[Messerschmitt |image =Image:Messerschmitt Me 262A at the National Museum of the USAF.jpg |caption = Messerschmitt Me 262A |designer =[Willy Messerschmitt |first flight =8 April [ with piston engines18 July [ with jet engines |introduction = April 1944Price 2007, p. 36-37. Quote: "In April (1944), a service test unit, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld in Bavaria... |retired =1945, Luftwaffe1957, Czechoslovakia |status = |primary user =[Luftwaffe |more users =[Czech Air Force |produced = |number built =1,430 |unit cost = |variants with their own articles = -->

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German language: "Swallow") was the world's first operational Jet engine fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multi-role fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. 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, with 509 claimed Allied killsGreen, William: Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Galahad Books, 1970. ISBN 0-88365-666-3., (although higher claims are sometimes made Morgan, Hugh and Weal, John. German Jet Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 17). London: Osprey, 1998. p. 78 Appendix. ISBN 1-85532-634-5. This source estimates that jet fighters of all types produced 745 victories, including 10 from Me 163 Komet.) for more than 100 Me 262 losses, its design had a strong influence on postwar aircraft development.

Design and development .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 eventually entered service. The progression of the original design into service was delayed greatly by technical issues involving the new jet engines. Funding for the jet program was also initially lacking as many high-ranking officials thought that the war could easily be won with conventional aircraft. An edict by Adolf Hitler that the Me 262 be produced, not as an interceptor, but as a ground attack bomber, the Sturmvogel (Stormbird), did not significantly add to the period required to bring the Swallow to production.http://www.stormbirds.com/schwalbe/history/history2.htmPrice 1993, p. 176. Quote: "It has become part of the accepted wisdom about the Luftwaffe that Hitler's decision was instrumental in preventing the large-scale deployment of the Me 262 in the fighter force. In fact his edict was not the main reason, or even a major reason, for the failure to deploy the fighter in the hoped-for numbers."

The aircraft was originally designed with a Conventional landing gear and the first four prototypes (Me 262 V1-V4) were built 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 gear arrangement, initially as a fixed undercarriage on the fifth prototype aircraft, then a fully retractable one on the sixth and succeeding prototypes, corrected this problem.

Although it is often stated that the Me 262 is a "swept wing" design, the production Me 262 had a leading edge sweep of only 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. Loftin, L.K. Jr. Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft. NASA SP-468. Access date: 22 April 2006. 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 (district), Germany, piloted by Fritz Wendel. This was almost nine 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. 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 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, low-speed 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 km/h to 500 km/h).

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

Operational history antenna on the nose and second seat for a radar operator.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 having mounted the world's first jet fighter operations. 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. Smith 1971, p. 103. Quote: "On 25 July 1944, a Me 262 from EK262 recorded the world's first interception of an enemy aircraft by a jet fighter. A photo-reconnaissance Mosquito from No. 544 Squadron RAF was flying over the Munich area when the observer, F/O Lobban spotted an enemy aircraft in the distance. The pilot, F/Lt Wall, quickly accelerated the machine, but was surprised to see that the enemy was still closing rapidly. After evading five firing passes from the Me 262 (Editor's note: piloted by Lt. Alfred Schreiber), Wall dived into a cloud bank, and eventually crash landed the Mosquito back at Fermo, near Venice." 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 18 March 1945, 37 Me 262s of JG7 intercepted a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters. They shot 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 losses to hamper their operations.

Several two-seater "B" trainer variants of the Me 262 had been adapted as night fighters, complete with on-board radar and "stag's antlers" (Hirschgeweih) antenna. 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 aceFor a list of Luftwaffe jet aces see List of German World War II Jet aces 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. Most of Welter's claimed night kills were achieved in standard radar-less 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 bomber's flight level to get additional speed before gaining altitude again and, on reaching the bomber's level, opening fire with its four 30 mm autocannon at 600 m (656 yard) range.

Allied bomber gunners found that their electric gun turrets had problems tracking the jets. Target acquisition was difficult because the jets closed into firing range quickly and had to remain in firing position only briefly using their standard attack profile.

Eventually new combat tactics were developed to counter the allied bombers' defences. Me 262s equipped with 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 Flying Fortress. 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 strategic bombing.

Counter-jet tactics 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 though the only reliable way of dealing with the jets was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Luftwaffe airfields that were recognized as jet bases were frequently bombed by medium bombers, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets trying to land on their bases. The Luftwaffe countered these moves by installing Anti-aircraft warfare alleys along the approach lines in order to protect the Me 262s from the ground and providing top cover with conventional fighters during takeoff and landing. 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 United Kingdom 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 I KG(J) 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.Foreman and Harvey 1990 and Ethell and Price 1979 The first Me 262 shot down in combat was on 5 October 1944 by Spitfire IXs of No. 401 Squadron 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 downing an Me 262 on 15 February 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 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 force 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 transonic 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 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. Several components of the Me 262 were built in forced labour camps. In the end, slightly over 1,400 Me 262s of all versions were produced. As few as 200 Me 262s made it to combat units 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).

Postwar history 2006.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. The Me 262 was found during testing 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.Ethell and Price 1994, p. 97-99. 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."Ethell and Price 1994, p. 180. The Army Air Force also tested an example of the Me 262A-1a/U3 (US flight evaluation serial FE-4012), 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.Butler 1994

These aircraft were extensively studied, aiding development of early U.S. and Soviet jet fighters. The F-86 Sabre, 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 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 went to a private owner in the southwestern United States, while the second was delivered to the Messerschmitt Foundation at Manching, Germany. This aircraft conducted a private test flight in late April 2006, and made its public debut in May at the Berlin Air Show (ILA 2006). The new Me 262 flew during the public flight demonstrations.http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7620890100890480&q=me%2B262 Me 262 Flies again

Variants A-1a "Schwalbe"Production version, fighter and fighter bomber. A-1a/R-1Equipped with provisions for R4M air-to-air rockets A-1a/U1Single 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/U2Single 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/U3Reconnaissance 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/U4Bomber destroyer version, two prototypes with an adapted 50 mm MK 214 anti-tank gun in nose. A-1a/U5Heavy jet fighter with six MK 108 guns in the nose A-1bAs 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 retaining only two MK 108 guns. A-2a/U1Single prototype with advanced bombsight. A-2a/U2Two prototypes with glazed nose for accommodating a bombardier. A-3aProposed ground attack version. A-4aReconnaissance version. A-5aDefinitive reconnaissance version used in small numbers at end of the war. B-1aTwo-seat trainer. B-1a/U1B-1a trainers converted into provisional night fighters, FuG 218 Neptun radar B-2Proposed night fighter version with stretched fuselage. C-1aSingle prototype 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 27 February 1945. C-2bSingle prototype 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 26 March 1945. C-3aSingle prototype of rocket-boosted interceptor with Walter rockets in belly pack. D-1Proposed variant to carry Jagdfaust mortars. E-1Proposed cannon-armed variant based on A-1a/U4. E-2Proposed rocket-armed variant carrying up to 48 R4M rockets. SZero-series model for Me 262 A-1a VTest model for Me 262 WProvisional designation for Me262 with pulse-jet engines

Japanese designs patterned after the Me 262: Nakajima J9YNakajima Ki-201 Karyu

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

Operators Germany : Post-war

Survivors Me 262AShifnal, Shropshire, United Kingdom. Me 262A, W.Nr.500071 "White 3", III./JG 7Deutsches Museum Flugwerft, Oberschleißheim near Munich, Germany. This aircraft was confiscated by Swiss authorities after making an emergency landing in Switzerland due to a navigational error. Me 262 A-1aReconstructed from parts of crashed and uncompleted Me 262. Luftwaffe Museum, Germany. Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.501232 "Yellow 5", 3./KG(J)6National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr.500453Flying Heritage Collection, Arlington, Washington Me 262 A-1b W.Nr.500491 "Yellow 7", II./JG 7Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC, USA. Me 262 A-2a W.Nr.112372RAF Museum Hendon, United Kingdom. Me 262 A-2a W.Nr.500200 "Black X 9K+XK", II./KG 51Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia. Me 262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr.110305 "Red 8"South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg, South Africa. Me 262 B-1a, W.Nr.110639 "White 35"NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, USA. Avia S-92Aviation Museum Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic. Avia CS-92Aviation Museum Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic.

Specifications (Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a)

{{aircraft specifications]: 7.23|engine (jet)=Junkers Jumo 004B-1]s|number of jets=2|thrust main=8.8 kN|thrust alt=1,980 lbf|max speed main=870 km/h|max speed alt=541 mph|range main=1,050 km|range alt=652 mi|ceiling main=11,450 m|ceiling alt=37,565 ft|climb rate main=1,200 m/min|climb rate alt=3,900 ft/min|loading main=|loading alt=|thrust/weight=0.28|armament= -->

References Notes Bibliography

External links

Related content {{aircontent||related=

|similar aircraft=

|sequence=

|see also=

|lists=

-->

{{infobox Aircraft |name =Me 262 |type =Fighter |manufacturer =[Messerschmitt |image =Image:Messerschmitt Me 262A at the National Museum of the USAF.jpg |caption = Messerschmitt Me 262A |designer =[Willy Messerschmitt |first flight =8 April [ with piston engines18 July [ with jet engines |introduction = April 1944Price 2007, p. 36-37. Quote: "In April (1944), a service test unit, Erprobungskommando 262 was formed at Lechfeld in Bavaria... |retired =1945, Luftwaffe1957, Czechoslovakia |status = |primary user =[Luftwaffe |more users =[Czech Air Force |produced = |number built =1,430 |unit cost = |variants with their own articles = -->

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German language: "Swallow") was the world's first operational Jet engine fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multi-role fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. 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, with 509 claimed Allied killsGreen, William: Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Galahad Books, 1970. ISBN 0-88365-666-3., (although higher claims are sometimes made Morgan, Hugh and Weal, John. German Jet Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 17). London: Osprey, 1998. p. 78 Appendix. ISBN 1-85532-634-5. This source estimates that jet fighters of all types produced 745 victories, including 10 from Me 163 Komet.) for more than 100 Me 262 losses, its design had a strong influence on postwar aircraft development.

Design and development .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 eventually entered service. The progression of the original design into service was delayed greatly by technical issues involving the new jet engines. Funding for the jet program was also initially lacking as many high-ranking officials thought that the war could easily be won with conventional aircraft. An edict by Adolf Hitler that the Me 262 be produced, not as an interceptor, but as a ground attack bomber, the Sturmvogel (Stormbird), did not significantly add to the period required to bring the Swallow to production.http://www.stormbirds.com/schwalbe/history/history2.htmPrice 1993, p. 176. Quote: "It has become part of the accepted wisdom about the Luftwaffe that Hitler's decision was instrumental in preventing the large-scale deployment of the Me 262 in the fighter force. In fact his edict was not the main reason, or even a major reason, for the failure to deploy the fighter in the hoped-for numbers."

The aircraft was originally designed with a Conventional landing gear and the first four prototypes (Me 262 V1-V4) were built 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 gear arrangement, initially as a fixed undercarriage on the fifth prototype aircraft, then a fully retractable one on the sixth and succeeding prototypes, corrected this problem.

Although it is often stated that the Me 262 is a "swept wing" design, the production Me 262 had a leading edge sweep of only 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. Loftin, L.K. Jr. Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft. NASA SP-468. Access date: 22 April 2006. 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 (district), Germany, piloted by Fritz Wendel. This was almost nine 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. 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 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, low-speed 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 km/h to 500 km/h).

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

Operational history antenna on the nose and second seat for a radar operator.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 having mounted the world's first jet fighter operations. 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. Smith 1971, p. 103. Quote: "On 25 July 1944, a Me 262 from EK262 recorded the world's first interception of an enemy aircraft by a jet fighter. A photo-reconnaissance Mosquito from No. 544 Squadron RAF was flying over the Munich area when the observer, F/O Lobban spotted an enemy aircraft in the distance. The pilot, F/Lt Wall, quickly accelerated the machine, but was surprised to see that the enemy was still closing rapidly. After evading five firing passes from the Me 262 (Editor's note: piloted by Lt. Alfred Schreiber), Wall dived into a cloud bank, and eventually crash landed the Mosquito back at Fermo, near Venice." 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 18 March 1945, 37 Me 262s of JG7 intercepted a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters. They shot 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 losses to hamper their operations.

Several two-seater "B" trainer variants of the Me 262 had been adapted as night fighters, complete with on-board radar and "stag's antlers" (Hirschgeweih) antenna. 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 aceFor a list of Luftwaffe jet aces see List of German World War II Jet aces 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. Most of Welter's claimed night kills were achieved in standard radar-less 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 bomber's flight level to get additional speed before gaining altitude again and, on reaching the bomber's level, opening fire with its four 30 mm autocannon at 600 m (656 yard) range.

Allied bomber gunners found that their electric gun turrets had problems tracking the jets. Target acquisition was difficult because the jets closed into firing range quickly and had to remain in firing position only briefly using their standard attack profile.

Eventually new combat tactics were developed to counter the allied bombers' defences. Me 262s equipped with 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 Flying Fortress. 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 strategic bombing.

Counter-jet tactics 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 though the only reliable way of dealing with the jets was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Luftwaffe airfields that were recognized as jet bases were frequently bombed by medium bombers, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets trying to land on their bases. The Luftwaffe countered these moves by installing Anti-aircraft warfare alleys along the approach lines in order to protect the Me 262s from the ground and providing top cover with conventional fighters during takeoff and landing. 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 United Kingdom 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 I KG(J) 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.Foreman and Harvey 1990 and Ethell and Price 1979 The first Me 262 shot down in combat was on 5 October 1944 by Spitfire IXs of No. 401 Squadron 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 downing an Me 262 on 15 February 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 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 force 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 transonic 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 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. Several components of the Me 262 were built in forced labour camps. In the end, slightly over 1,400 Me 262s of all versions were produced. As few as 200 Me 262s made it to combat units 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).

Postwar history 2006.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. The Me 262 was found during testing 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.Ethell and Price 1994, p. 97-99. 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."Ethell and Price 1994, p. 180. The Army Air Force also tested an example of the Me 262A-1a/U3 (US flight evaluation serial FE-4012), 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.Butler 1994

These aircraft were extensively studied, aiding development of early U.S. and Soviet jet fighters. The F-86 Sabre, 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 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 went to a private owner in the southwestern United States, while the second was delivered to the Messerschmitt Foundation at Manching, Germany. This aircraft conducted a private test flight in late April 2006, and made its public debut in May at the Berlin Air Show (ILA 2006). The new Me 262 flew during the public flight demonstrations.http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7620890100890480&q=me%2B262 Me 262 Flies again

Variants A-1a "Schwalbe"Production version, fighter and fighter bomber. A-1a/R-1Equipped with provisions for R4M air-to-air rockets A-1a/U1Single 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/U2Single 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/U3Reconnaissance 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/U4Bomber destroyer version, two prototypes with an adapted 50 mm MK 214 anti-tank gun in nose. A-1a/U5Heavy jet fighter with six MK 108 guns in the nose A-1bAs 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 retaining only two MK 108 guns. A-2a/U1Single prototype with advanced bombsight. A-2a/U2Two prototypes with glazed nose for accommodating a bombardier. A-3aProposed ground attack version. A-4aReconnaissance version. A-5aDefinitive reconnaissance version used in small numbers at end of the war. B-1aTwo-seat trainer. B-1a/U1B-1a trainers converted into provisional night fighters, FuG 218 Neptun radar B-2Proposed night fighter version with stretched fuselage. C-1aSingle prototype 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 27 February 1945. C-2bSingle prototype 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 26 March 1945. C-3aSingle prototype of rocket-boosted interceptor with Walter rockets in belly pack. D-1Proposed variant to carry Jagdfaust mortars. E-1Proposed cannon-armed variant based on A-1a/U4. E-2Proposed rocket-armed variant carrying up to 48 R4M rockets. SZero-series model for Me 262 A-1a VTest model for Me 262 WProvisional designation for Me262 with pulse-jet engines

Japanese designs patterned after the Me 262: Nakajima J9YNakajima Ki-201 Karyu

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

Operators Germany : Post-war

Survivors Me 262AShifnal, Shropshire, United Kingdom. Me 262A, W.Nr.500071 "White 3", III./JG 7Deutsches Museum Flugwerft, Oberschleißheim near Munich, Germany. This aircraft was confiscated by Swiss authorities after making an emergency landing in Switzerland due to a navigational error. Me 262 A-1aReconstructed from parts of crashed and uncompleted Me 262. Luftwaffe Museum, Germany. Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.501232 "Yellow 5", 3./KG(J)6National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, USA. Me 262 A-1a/U3 W.Nr.500453Flying Heritage Collection, Arlington, Washington Me 262 A-1b W.Nr.500491 "Yellow 7", II./JG 7Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC, USA. Me 262 A-2a W.Nr.112372RAF Museum Hendon, United Kingdom. Me 262 A-2a W.Nr.500200 "Black X 9K+XK", II./KG 51Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia. Me 262 B-1a/U1, W.Nr.110305 "Red 8"South African National Museum of Military History, Johannesburg, South Africa. Me 262 B-1a, W.Nr.110639 "White 35"NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, USA. Avia S-92Aviation Museum Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic. Avia CS-92Aviation Museum Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic.

Specifications (Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a)

{{aircraft specifications]: 7.23|engine (jet)=Junkers Jumo 004B-1]s|number of jets=2|thrust main=8.8 kN|thrust alt=1,980 lbf|max speed main=870 km/h|max speed alt=541 mph|range main=1,050 km|range alt=652 mi|ceiling main=11,450 m|ceiling alt=37,565 ft|climb rate main=1,200 m/min|climb rate alt=3,900 ft/min|loading main=|loading alt=|thrust/weight=0.28|armament= -->

References Notes Bibliography

External links

Related content {{aircontent||related=

|similar aircraft=

|sequence=

|see also=

|lists=

-->



Messerschmitt Me 262 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") was the world's first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. [3] It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in ...

Messerschmitt 262::
The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world's first fully operational turbojet fighter and saw service in the later years of World War Two. The Messerschmitt Me 262 had to potential ...

Messerschmitt Me 262 - Wikimedia Commons
The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world's first operational jet fighter but came too late to have any effect on World War II

Category:Me 262 - Wikimedia Commons
Media in category "Me 262" The following 24 files are in this category, out of 24 total.

Messerschmitt Me 262 - Single-seat fighter/bomber
Aircraft specifications and history for the Messerschmitt Me 262, with link to picture gallery. ... Full Name: Messerschmitt Me 262 Variants: Me 262A-1a Schwalbe, Me 262A-2 ...

Warbird Alley: Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe / Sturmvogel (Variants/Other Names: S.92; See History below for others)

Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe
Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe history, specifications, schematics, pictures, and data. ... DESCRIPTION: The historic Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the first jet-powered aircraft ...

Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe / Sturmvogel
Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe / Sturmvogel . One of the most remarkable advancements made by the German military in World War II was the production of turbine-jet aircraft.

Messerschmitt Me-262 Trains & Planes Ltd.
Telephone (0191) 286 4175 – 9am to 9pm 7 days a week Outside the UK please telephone +44 191 286 4175

The Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe / Sturmvogel
The Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe / Sturmvogel. v1.1.4 / 01 jan 08 / greg goebel / public domain * World War II saw the introduction of jet aircraft, and one of the most prominent ...

 

Messerschmitt Me 262



 
Copyright © 2008 Hintcenter.com - All rights reserved.
Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
All Trademarks belong to their repective owners. Many aspects of this page are used under
commercial commons license from Yahoo!