The German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the first operational jet fighter and appeared in air combat towards the end of World War Two. The Me 262 has always been one of my favourite World War Two era aircraft. It wasn’t the best jet to ever grace the skies but I have always… Read More The Survivors: Messerschmitt Me 262 – Germany’s Jet Fighter
By 1945 a number of German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (“Swallow“) jet fighters were located in Czechoslovakia. During the German occupation period Me 262 airframe components were produced by Avia and other Czechoslovakian factories produced jet engine parts and even final assembly of the jet fighter. As a result blueprints, technical manuals, production facilities,… Read More The Survivors: Czechoslovakia’s Avia S-92 Turbina (Me 262)
Following Germany’s World War Two defeat in 1945, the victorious Allies were keen to gather up as much of their jet and rocket technology and expertise as they could. These wunderwaffe (“wonder-weapon”) aircraft and rocket designs would go on to heavily influence western and Soviet aviation and rocketry in the coming years of the Cold War.… Read More The Survivors: Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet “The Devil’s Sled”
Within the Striking by Night exhibition of the Australian War Memorial sits some of the most famous World War Two aircraft produced by German aviation company Messerschmitt AG. The jewel in the crown is a Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a jet fighter-bomber “Jabo” variant. The Me 262 was the world’s first fully operational jet aircraft. The Australian… Read More Australian War Memorial: Messerschmitt Me 262 “Black X”
The fighter, fast and powerful, has always dominated the skies as the “glamorous” aircraft in aviation history. For me the most interesting period of aviation history was World War Two. This war saw the introduction of high-speed all metal monoplanes and eventually jet fighters. All the major nations in the conflict introduced an amazing array of… Read More My Favourite WW2 Fighter is… What’s yours?
Originally posted on Deano In America:
October 18th, 2011 Today I had the privilege of visiting Legend Flyers at Paine Field, Everett. They are a group that has reproduced a number of Messerschmitt Me-262 Scwhalbe (“Swallow”) airframes (the original German aircraft was the first operational jet fighter of WW2). Me-262A WW2 The aircraft have been built to the exact production…
Aces Flying High 