The Me 262 was the first of its kind, the first jet-powered aircraft. Although conceived before the war, with the initial plans being drawn in April 1939, the Stormbird was beset with technological (particularly the revolutionary engines) and political difficulties, resulting in it not entering combat until August 1944, with claims of nineteen downed Allied aircraft. The performance of the Me 262 so far exceeded that of Allied aircraft that on 1 Sepember 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz remarked that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive. The story of how the Stormbird came to be is fascinating history, and it comes to life in the hands of noted historian Colin Heaton. Told largely in the words of the German aces who flew it, The Me 262 Stormbird provides the complete history of this remarkable airplane from the drawing boards to combat in the skies over the Third Reich. Features two forewords, one by Jorg Czypionka, Me 262 night fighter pilot, and another by historian and author Barrett Tillman.

"It is the leaders of the country who determine the policy ...voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders." Hermann Gšring ??This is the history of the Luftwaffe through the eyes of those who served in combat. The rise of the Luftwaffe from the ashes of the Great War is traced through recollections of Luftwaffe personnel who manned the gliders and perpetuated the charade that this was a civilian undertaking. The heady optimism generated by the stunning successes of the Blitzkrieg era are soon overturned by the grim experiences of the Battle of Britain and the life or death fight for the skies over Germany as the road leads ever downwards to defeat and Hitler's promised GštterdŠmmerung. The book is illustrated throughout with extensive selections from Der Adler, the wartime Luftwaffe propaganda magazine. This book is part of the 'Hitler's War Machine' series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of Hitler's Wehrmacht. The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie creator of the award winning PBS series 'Battlefield'.

Developed from a 1938 design by Messerschmitt the Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) was the world's first operational turbojet aircraft. First seeing combat in July 1944, it proved to be particularly effective against the large Allied bomber formations that were operating over Germany late in the war and more than 1,400 were produced, though less than 300 saw combat. This book showcases six different builds of the Me 262 across the scales from 1/72 to 1/32, across a range of skill levels. It also includes a comprehensive list of all the available kits and aftermarket products.

Photographs and information of unfinished, war weary, crash-landed, cannibalized, new ones, but all "dead Messerschmidt Me262s, found scattered all over the former Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, 8may1945. Enjoy this nine part series!

In the 1930s, as nations braced for war, the German military build up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology. The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines. In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft. It was installed in a Heinkel-designed aircraft, and the Germans began the jet age on August 27, 1939. The Germans led the jet race throughout the war and were the first to produce jet aircraft for combat operations. In England, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart. The British came second in the jet race when Whittle's engine powered the Gloster Pioneer on May 15, 1941. The Whittle-Gloster relationship continued and produced the only Allied combat jet aircraft during the war, the Meteor, which was relegated to Home Defense in Britain. In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane. On October 1, 1942, a lackluster performance from the Bell Airacomet, ushered in the American jet age. The Yanks forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programs in development by the end of the war. But, the Germans did it right and did it first, while the Allies lagged throughout the war, only rising to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat. Pavelec's analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport.

"If we would have had the Me.262 at our disposal, we could have stopped the American daytime bombing offensive, that's for sure." ADOLF GALLAND, LUFTWAFFE PILOT This comprehensive overview of the Me.262 was compiled by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. It draws heavily on post-war interviews with Luftwaffe pilots and staff officers to produce a fascinating insight into the Me.262 at the tactical and operational level. Also featured are rare English translations of contemporary interviews concerning the 262 with Adolf Galland and Hermann Goering, along side the views of test pilot Hans Fey and Flug Kapitan Wendel who flew the aircraft in combat sorties. They provided an absorbing study, from a unique series of primary sources, of the world of the Me.262 and its pilots, and conveys to the modern reader a vivid sense of how they were viewed at the time. Also included is the complete pilot's flying manual which affords a fascinating insight from the cockpit into the realities of piloting the world's first operational jet fighter.