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Summary: Messerschmitt ME-262 aircraft Airplane blueprint for the Messerschmitt, ME-262 ... Aviation history and aircraft blueprints/plans. Messerschmitt ME-262 - Among the most significant aircraft in aviation history, the Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) became the first jet-powered aircraft to enter combat, though it was not the first jet aircraft to fly.
The Luftwaffe began committing the remarkable Me-262 to combat in mid-1944 when they were pitted against the columns of heavy bombers making daily raids on German cities and military targets. Despite being well-armed with 30-mm cannons and air-to-air rockets, the Me 262 was simply too little too late to turn the tide of war in Germany's favor. Maintaining production was difficult due to Allied attacks on industrial centers, many aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and several were shot down due to poor pilot training and both the superior numbers and maneuverability of Allied piston aircraft. Some 1,430 total ME-262 jet aircraft were built, though only about 300 ever saw combat, and many survivors were used by the victorious Allies to help jumpstart the blossoming jet age.
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