ME-262 Swallow

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe ("Swallow") was a German aircraft, the world's first operational jet-powered 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. The Me 262 claimed a total of 509 Allied kills (although higher claims are sometimes made) against the loss of about 100 Me 262s. The Me 262 is considered to be the most advanced German aviation design in operational use and according to some Allied historians it was an aircraft that might have won air supremacy back for the Luftwaffe. Nevertheless, 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. The Me 262 influenced the designs of post-war aircraft such as the North American F-86 and Boeing B-47.