Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German "Swallow" was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter. It was mass-produced in World War II and saw action from late summer of 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. Officially named Schwalbe, because the swallow is one of the fastest birds known when going into a dive to capture and eat an airborne insect, German pilots nicknamed it the Turbo, while the Allies called it the Stormbird. While the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war, shooting down an estimated 150 Allied aircraft for the loss of 100 Me 262s, it was well-known and highly influential on post-war aircraft development.
was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter. It was mass-produced in World War II and saw action from late summer of 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. Officially named Schwalbe, because the swallow is one of the fastest birds known when going into a dive to capture and eat an airborne insect, German pilots nicknamed it the Turbo, while the Allies called it the Stormbird. While the Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war, shooting down an estimated 150 Allied aircraft for the loss of 100 Me 262s, it was well-known and highly influential on post-war aircraft development.