02235 Trumpeter 1/32 Aircraft Me-262 A-1a

Additional Information

Being the first jet aircraft to engage in combat, the Me262 was one of the most advanced fighters of its time. Development began in 1938 and the first prototype took off in April 1941 (using piston engines). The first jet version took off in July 1942. Mass production began in November 1943, however, two aspects, firstly political and secondly technical stopped a massive influx of cars to the front. The political aspect was that the high command insisted on using the aircraft as a high-speed bomber instead of a fighter, only at the end of 1944 was followed by an official order to use the Me-262 for its intended purpose. The technical aspect was the low reliability and complexity of the production of jet engines. The engine wore out in 10 hours of flight (25 hours for later machines), and the German industry did not have the opportunity to create engines in sufficient quantities. The fighting mainly involved modifications of the Me262A-1A Schwalbe (Swallow) and the Me262A-2A Sturmvogel (stormy Petrel). "Swallow" had a couple of modifications with different weaponry. Despite all the difficulties, 1,400 aircraft were built and put into service. Despite the lack of maneuverability, the Me-262 was far superior to its opponents in other respects. Several copies have been preserved in museums in different parts of the world.