The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German for Swallow) was the world’s first operational turbojet fighter aircraft. It was produced in World War II and saw action starting in 1944 as a multi-role fighter/bomber/reconnaissance/interceptor warplane for the Luftwaffe. German pilots nicknamed it the Sturmvogel (Stormbird), while the Allies called it the Turbo or the Blow Job. The Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war due to its late introduction, with 509 claimed Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made) against the loss of more than 100 Me 262s.
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Me 262 |
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Messerschmitt Me 262A |
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Role |
Fighter |
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Manufacturer |
Messerschmitt |
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First flight |
18 April 1941 with piston engines |
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18 July 1942 with jet engines |
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Introduction |
April 1944[2][3] |
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Retired |
1945, Luftwaffe |
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1957, Czechoslovakia |
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Primary users |
Luftwaffe |
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Czechoslovak Air Force |
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Number built |
1,430 |



