Me262vsB17     JET AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT    
        During World War Two

    Little known fact:   Over two thousand jet aircraft were in existence before the end of War Two. There were 11 aces, the top had 16 kills.

    JET AIRCRAFT   (2,590)       Me-262   video

    ManufDesignNameFirst FlownNumber
    (postwar)    		Operational Comment
    Heinkel He-178 pic  video 27Aug391PFirst turbojet, little interestGer
    Heinkel He-280 pic  video 02Apr41 9PTwinjet. Lost contract to Me-262Ger
    Gloster E28/39Pioneer15May41 1P Test of Wittle engineBr
    Messerschmitt
    		Me-262Swallow
    pic  video    		25Mar421,430July44. Delayed year by Hitler as bomber
    509 Allied kills vs. 100 lost    		Ger
    Bell P-59Aircomet01Oct4218P, 50 Twin jet fighter   video (stop at 1 min)US
    Gloster F.9/40Meteor 05Mar43 8P Twin jetBr
    Arado Ar-234Blitz video 15June43200 Twin jet reconnaissance bomberGer
    de HavillandDH-100Vampire29Sep43P (1,900)1946-54. twin boomBr
    MesserschmittMe-328P.1073 1944 2P Twin pulsejetGer
    Lockheed P-80 videoShooting Star8Jan44 45 (1,732)Two demo to Italy before war end. KoreaUS
    Gloster G.41Meteor video 12Jan44210 (657)4Aug44 destroy two V1. France 20Jan45Br
    Ryan FR-1Fireball video25Jan4466Turbojet and turbopropUS
    Horten Ho-IXV3 Summer442PTwin jet, flying wing. Ho-229.Ger
    Junkers Ju-287V1 16Aug441PFour engine jet bomberGer
    Arado Ar-234CBlitz 30Sept4410PFour engine jet bomberGer
    Fieseler Fi-103ReichenbergSept1944175Piloted V1 pulsejetGer
    Northrop JB-10Jet Bomb c194424Flying wing, programmed, unmanned bombUS
    Heinkel He-162Salamander06Dec44320Captured as made operational May'45Ger/td>
    McDonnellFH-1Phantom 26Jan452 (66)1948-50US
    Consol-VulteeXP-81Silver Bullet 11Feb452PTurbojet and turbopropUS
    Bell XP-83Airacomet II25Feb451PWide body P-59, more fuel. US
    Yokosuka Ohka-22Buka 1945 1P Suicide bombJap
    Douglas XBTD-2DestroyerMay452P Jets added to BTD-DestroyerUS
    Henschel Hs-132 captured1PDive bomberGer
    Junkers Ju-287V2 captured1PSix engine jet bomberGer
    Nakajima Orange Blossom Kikka 7Aug45 2P Twin jet bomber on Me-262 model.Jap
    Northrop XP79BFlying Ram12Sep452P Flying wingUS
    Alekseyev I-211 Istrebitel Fall 1947 2P Twin jet fighter on Me-262 model.USSR
    MesserschmittP.1101video damaged in capture1PVariable sweep experimental aircraft;
    Bell X-5,June 20, 1951    		Ger

    ROCKET PLANE DEVELOPMENT during World War Two     (1,186)   Ohka   video

    See Lippishch Duck, 1928, Ger
    Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet  videoSum'41 400 May'44.Ger
    Berezniak Isaev BI-2 Rocket FighterMay42 7P Also with ramjets on wingsUSSR
    Northrop MX-334 Flying Wing Jun44 1P US
    Yokosuka Ohka-11 BukaNov44755 Suicide bombJap
    Bachem Ba-349 NatterDec4420+ Rocket FighterGer
    Northrop XP-79A Flying Ram- Flying wing, design canceledUS
    MesserschmittMe 263 Komet IIcaptured2P From Me-163, longer range. (Ju 248)Ger
    Mitsubishi J8MShusui July451P From Me-163Jap

    DUCTED FAN:  Jet Thrust       N-1   pics

     Coanda video Turbine 10Dec19101PYes, 1910. Romania
     Stipavideo Ducted Fan 7 Oct 19321P Italy
     Caproni N-1  videoCompini 28Aug402Pwith afterburner.Italy
    P = prototype

    FLYING BOMB:        V-1   video

    ManufactureDesignNameTypeFirst FlownNumberOperational CommentNation
    ArgusAs-014VergeltungswaffePulsejetDec'4230,000V-1 Buzz Bomb ; 15,800 fired after 17June'44Germany
    NorthropJB-1video turbojetDec'44protoypeflying wing design USA
    Republic-FordJB-2Loon, KGW-1PulsejetDec'441,391copy of V-1 ; none fired.  videoUSA
    ATSCJB-4 PulsejetJan'45protoyperadio controlled from TV glide bomb; none
    GB-4 with pulsejet over    		USA
    NorthropJB-10JB series PulsejetApr'4510-protoypepreset flying bomb; none
    JB-1 with pulsejet    		USA

    ROCKET MISSILES       V-2   V-2   video

    ManufDesignNameTypeFirst FlownNumberOperational CommentNation
    MittelwerkV-2Aggregat-4LiquidOct'425,200ballistic missile ; 3,172 fired beginning 8Sept'44Germany
    RheinmetallvideoRheinbote Solid1943220long range artillary fired beginning Nov'44Germany
    RuhrstahlX-4Kramer X-4 Liquid11Aug'441,000 wire guided air-to-air ; video, a few launchedGermany
    Kawasaki Ki-148Igo-1-B Liquid1944180radio controlled,rocket powered bomb ; none firedJapan
    BOMBS:

    POWERED GLIDE BOMB       Hs-293   Hs-293   video

    ManufDesignNameTypeFirst FlownNumberOperational CommentNation
    Henschel Hs 293video Solid19401,000radio-controlled, anti-ship, glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath.
    30 ships hit from Aug'43    		Germany
    McDonnellLBD-1Gargoyle JATOMar'45prototyperadio controlled anti-ship glide bomb; noneUSA

    GUIDED GLIDE BOMB       GB-4   GB-4   video

    ManufDesignNameTypeFirst FlownNumberOperational CommentNation
    ATSCGB-4video TVbefore'44in serviceradio controlled anti-ship glide bomb ; none before war endedUSA
    ATSCGB-8 visualprotoyperadio controlled glide bomb; noneUSA

    GUIDED BOMB       Fritz X   Fritz X   video

    ManufDesignNameTypeFirst FlownNumberOperational CommentNation
    Ruhrstahl FX 1400Fritz X visual19391,400remote-controlled free-falling anti-ship bomb
    7 ships hit from July'43 including battleship Roma sunk    		Germany
    ATSCVB-1Azon visual15,000lateral controlled free-falling anti-bridge bomb
    video 7:15    		USA
    ATSCVB-3Razon visual3,0002D Azon , none before war ended.   videoUSA
    NatlBuStdN-2Bat  video radarSummer'442,580radar controlled free-falling anti-ship bombUSA
    NDRCVB-6Felix video irfraredin productionIR controlled free-falling anti-ship bomb; none USA
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    About this page: Jet History - Aircraft developed before the end of World War II.
    Last updated on May 20, 2015. - add Flying Bomb thru Guided Bomb, yesterday's cruise missiles and smart bombs.
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