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| The Real Thing |
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (
"Swallow") was the
world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before
World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the
Luftwaffe until mid-
1944. Compared with
Allied fighters of its day, including the jet-powered
Gloster Meteor, it was much faster and better armed. In combat, when properly flown, it proved difficult to counter due to its speed.
Me 262 pilots claimed a total of
542 Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made) against the loss of about
100 Me 262s. The design was pressed into a variety of roles, including
light bomber, reconnaissance and even experimental night fighter versions. The
Me 262 was one of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during
World War II. The
Allies countered its potential effectiveness in the air by relentlessly attacking the aircraft on the ground, or while they were taking off or landing. Maintenance problems and a lack of fuel during the deteriorating late-war situation also reduced the effectiveness of the aircraft as a fighting force. In the end, the
Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war due to its late introduction and the small numbers that were deployed in operational service. -
Wikipedia
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| A Light Bomber Version |
Messerschmitt Me 262 foi o primeiro avião a jato a entrar em operação no mundo. Além de possuir a potência dos turbojatos, ele também apresentava muitos avanços em seu desenho revolucionário. Embora visto como uma das últimas
super-armas alemãs da
Segunda Guerra Mundial, o
Me 262 começou a ser projetado antes do início do conflito.
Mesmo tendo entrado em operação tardiamente e nunca disponível em quantidade suficiente e necessária, ele foi efetivamente empregado pela
Luftwaffe numa variedade de missões tais como:
caças diurnos, caças-bombardeiros, reconhecimento e caças noturnos, provando ser uma máquina de guerra formidável, numa fase onde a velocidade era a principal característica exigida para um caça, porém não chegando a ter uma influência decisiva no término da guerra.
Link: WW2`s.Messerschmitt.Me262.German.Aircraft.by.Fiddlers.Green
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