Overview
The Me 262 entered combat in 1944, around 150 km/h faster than any Allied piston fighter. Its swept wings and twin jet engines pointed to the future of air combat, but its engines lasted only a few dozen hours and shortages of fuel and trained pilots limited its impact.
It first flew in 1941 with a propeller engine in the nose because the jet engines were not ready. After the war Czechoslovakia built and flew copies as the Avia S-92.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 10.60 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 12.60 m |
| Height | 3.50 m |
| Wing area | 21.7 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 3,795 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 7,130 kg |
Performance
| Max. speed | 900 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range | 1,050 km |
| Service ceiling | 11,450 m |
| Rate of climb | 20.0 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 1 |
|---|
Powerplant
| Engines | 2 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | Junkers Jumo 004 B-1 |
| Thrust (each) | 8.8 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Armament
- Four 30 mm MK 108 cannon in the nose
- 24 R4M unguided rockets on some aircraft
Photos
Photo 1: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
