The first operational fighter jet in history to fly again

May The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the first operational fighter jet in history and it was frighteningly fast compared with all that had gone before it with a top speed of Mach .86. Although 1400 Me 262s were produced, no airworthy examples remain so five completely new examples are being re-created in the USA and the second finished example Tango Tango, recently became the first ME 262 to fly over Germany for 60 years. The ME 262 will have its public European debut at ILA in Berlin next week – if you’re a warbird enthusiast, it’ll be worth the travel to see it, and if you’re a lover of meticulous forensic engineering, check out the project web site.

Some excellent informational resources on the ME 262 can be found at Wikipedia, Warbird Alley and Vectorsite.