Me-262 Jet V1.12

Me 262: Dawn of the Jet Age

The Messerschmitt Me 262 emerged as Nazi Germany’s desperate bid for air superiority in WWII’s final years. First flown in 1941 but delayed by engine issues and strategic indecision, it became operational in July 1944—too late to alter the war’s outcome. Allied bombers dubbed it the "Blitz Bomber" for its devastating raids, while Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland famously declared: "It felt like angels pushing us."

Despite destroying over 500 Allied aircraft with minimal losses, chronic fuel shortages, Allied air supremacy, and Hitler’s insistence on using it as a bomber crippled its potential. Postwar, captured Me 262s were studied by the U.S., USSR, and Britain, directly inspiring pioneers like the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15. Its swept-wing design and jet propulsion redefined aviation, ending the propeller era forever.