Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1 Schwalbe

Description

Developed from a 1938 design by the Messerschmitt company, the Me 262 Schwalbe was the world’s first operational turbojet aircraft. First flown under jet power on July 18, 1942, it proved much faster than conventional airplanes. The Jumo 004 engines produced 8.8 kN trust each and had an expected life span of just 25 hours. Of the more than 1400 Me 262s produced, fewer than 300 saw combat.