Messerschmidt ME-262

This is the Messerschmidt ME-262, the world's
first operational jet fighter/bomber. Designed by
Willie Messerschmidt in the late 1930's, the plane
was plagued by design, engine, and internal problems until
early 1944. The swept wing design was also a first
in aviation. Early models were fitted with a BMW 003
engine and these never proved successful. After
changing to the Jumo engines, the plane really took
off (no pun intended). It was the first to attain speeds
over 500 mph, but could only stay aloft 45 to 60 minutes.
Hitler was against the development of jet planes at
first, but aviation experts such at Hermann Goering and
Adolf Gallant convinced him it was the wave of the future.
Hitler wanted to make the ME-262 into a bomber to strike
France and Great Britain. Engineers and senior pilots both
agreed it was more in line to be a fighter plane. It was not
until the Allies began bombing Germany on a daily basis
that Hitler finally relented and agreed to make the plane
into a fighter. Five years had been wasted, and now the
plane could not be produced in enough numbers to turn
back the Allies. World experts agree the plane was years
ahead of anything that any nation had at the time. Over
500 were built, but only around 25 are known to still
exist.
The first photo is a real ME-262...the rest are of my
latest model.