Messerschmitt Me 262

what is it?

The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed Schwalbe (German for "Swallow") in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel ("Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft and one of two jet fighter aircraft types to see air-to-air combat in World War II, the other being the Heinkel He 162. The design of what would become the Me 262 started in April 1939, before World War II. It made its maiden flight on 18 April 1941 with a piston engine, and its first jet-powered flight on 18 July 1942.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 jet engines · retractable tricycle gear · 12.6 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 900 km/htop speed
• range 1,050 kmwithout refuelling
• size 7,130 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,433made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 84 years ago, in 1942.
• 🏎️Top speed is 6.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 12.6 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,050 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.3× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1942-07-18

introduced

1944

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

1,433

role

fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber

origin

German Reich

makers

Messerschmitt

engines

2× Junkers Jumo 004B-1 / Junkers Jumo 004

crew

1

length

10.6 m

wingspan

12.6 m

height

3.5 m

max take-off weight

7,130 kg

top speed

900 km/h

range

1,050 km

ceiling

11,450 m

landing gear

retractable tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.