Dimensions
190 x 130 x 10mm
By the time of its introduction into front-line service in
July 1944 many Germans thought the Me 262 was capable of
turning the tide of the Second World War. Accelerating to
speeds well over 500mph, it was faster than any Allied
fighter operating in the European theatre. Officially
designated as the Schwalbe, or Swallow, its pilots soon
renamed the Me 262 as the Sturmvogel. While the war was
still going Hitler's way the Me262 was not considered a high-
priority project by German High Command, until May 1943 when
the celebrated Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland flew the Me 262
and was so impressed by its performance that he advocated
immediate mass production. Several types of the Me 262 were
deployed - fighter bomber, interceptor and an unarmed
reconnaissance version - but although over 1,400 Me 262s
were constructed less than 300 saw combat. Even so, the
Stormbird signalled the beginning of the end for piston-
engined combat aircraft, and with the fall of the Third
Reich the Allies were quick to seize the surviving Me 262s
and their design directly influenced the development of jet
fighters after the war.
