Although intended primarily as a day-fighter the Me 262 found a new role late in World War Two as a fast fighter-bomber Malcolm V Lowe tells the story of this important development
When the twin-engined Messerschmitt Me 262 entered operational service with Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe in the latter half of 1944, the type represented an important leap forward in warplane capability and technology.
It was one of just a small number of jet-powered aircraft that saw genuine frontline service during World War Two and was a contemporary of Britain’s Gloster Meteor – although the German type saw far more combat than its Allied contemporary.
Messerschmitt AG’s actual design work began in earnest on what became the Me 262 during April 1939. Although not by any means the sole designer of the type, Willy Messerschmitt himself played an important role in the creation of this advanced jet-powered warplane.
The first Me 262 to fly was Me 262V1, Werk Nummer (Wk Nr – works or factory serial number) 262 000 0001, coded PC+UA, on April 18, 1941. The type was intended initially to be powered by BMW 003 turbojets, but problems with this powerplant led to its eventual substitution with the Junkers Jumo 004. Indeed, the first a…
