What engine did the Me 262 use?
The world’s first operational jet fighter, the Me-262 Schwalbe, was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004 B turbine engines and had sleekly swept wings and a powerful armament of four 30-mm cannons. Used to be that the German Messerschmitt was the most feared fighter plane in WW2. But then in 1943, the US came up with the Mustang – a plane very capable of taking on the Messerschmitt.In general, they respected the US bird. One of the famous German pilots even told that he realized that his country was doomed to lose once he saw that US plane over Berlin. Of course, adequate pilots with decent combat experience couldn’t underestimate a dangerous rival and the P-51 was a very dangerous opponent.Used to be that the German Messerschmitt was the most feared fighter plane in WW2. But then in 1943, the US came up with the Mustang – a plane very capable of taking on the Messerschmitt.
How many kills did the Me 262 have?
Despite its short time in combat, the Me 262 had proven superior to all Allied fighters, accounting for 542 Allied aircraft destroyed while losing 100. Of the more than 1,400 Me 262s produced, fewer than 300 saw combat. Most Me 262s did not make it to operational units because of the destruction of Germany’s surface transportation system.
Was the Me 262 better than the P-51?
The Me262 was capable of speeds that no Allied fighter could achieve in level flight. Compare the Me262’s 559 mph to the P-51 Mustang’s 437 mph top speed. That’s a 118 mph difference, which could mean life or death in the skies above Germany. The Me262 was, however, equipped with its fair share of flaws. Even the world’s first jet fighter, the Me262, was first shot down by a Spitfire. Much like how a serrated knife increases the effective cutting surface of a blade, the Spitfire’s iconic elliptical wing enabled the wings to be thinner without increasing the wingspan; this in turn increased aerodynamic performance.