The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (German: "Swallow") was the world's first operational turbojet 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. It was officially named Schwalbe because the swallow, when in a dive, is one of the fastest birds known.[citation needed] German pilots nicknamed it the "Turbo," while the Allies called it the "Stormbird." The Me 262 had a negligible impact on the course of the war, with 509 claimed Allied kills, (although higher claims are sometimes made) for more than 100 Me 262 losses. |
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