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
| Manuf | Design | Name | First Flown | Number (postwar) | Operational Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heinkel | He-178 | pic video | 27Aug39 | 1P | First turbojet, little interest | Ger |
| Heinkel | He-280 | pic video | 02Apr41 | 9P | Twinjet. Lost contract to Me-262 | Ger |
| Gloster | E28/39 | Pioneer | 15May41 | 1P | Test of Wittle engine | Br |
| Messerschmitt | Me-262 | Swallow pic video | 25Mar42 | 1,430 | July44. Delayed
year by Hitler as bomber 509 Allied kills vs. 100 lost | Ger |
| Bell | P-59 | Aircomet | 01Oct42 | 18P, 50 | Twin jet fighter video (stop at 1 min) | US |
| Gloster | F.9/40 | Meteor | 05Mar43 | 8P | Twin jet | Br |
| Arado | Ar-234 | Blitz video | 15June43 | 200 | Twin jet reconnaissance bomber | Ger |
| de Havilland | DH-100 | Vampire | 29Sep43 | P (1,900) | 1946-54. twin boom | Br |
| Messerschmitt | Me-328 | P.1073 | 1944 | 2P | Twin pulsejet | Ger |
| Lockheed | P-80 video | Shooting Star | 8Jan44 | 45 (1,732) | Two demo to Italy before war end. Korea | US |
| Gloster | G.41 | Meteor video | 12Jan44 | 210 (657) | 4Aug44 destroy two V1. France 20Jan45 | Br |
| Ryan | FR-1 | Fireball video | 25Jan44 | 66 | Turbojet and turboprop | US |
| Horten | Ho-229 | V3 | Summer44 | 2P | Twin jet, flying wing. Ho-IX. See also Ho-18 | Ger |
| Junkers | Ju-287 | V1 | 16Aug44 | 1P | Four engine jet bomber | Ger |
| Arado | Ar-234C | Blitz | 30Sept44 | 10P | Four engine jet bomber | Ger |
| Fieseler | Fi-103 | Reichenberg | Sept1944 | 175 | Piloted V1 pulsejet | Ger |
| Northrop | JB-10 | Jet Bomb | c1944 | 24 | Flying wing, programmed, unmanned bomb | US |
| Heinkel | He-162 | Salamander | 06Dec44 | 320 | Captured as made operational May'45 | Ger |
| McDonnell | FH-1 | Phantom | 26Jan45 | 2 (66) | 1948-50 | US |
| Consol-Vultee | XP-81 | Silver Bullet | 11Feb45 | 2P | Turbojet and turboprop | US |
| Bell | XP-83 | Airacomet II | 25Feb45 | 1P | Wide body P-59, more fuel. | US |
| Yokosuka | Ohka-22 | Buka | 1945 | 1P | Suicide bomb | Jap |
| Douglas | XBTD-2 | Destroyer | May45 | 2P | Jets added to BTD-Destroyer | US |
| Henschel | Hs-132 | captured | 1P | Dive bomber | Ger | |
| Junkers | Ju-287 | V2 | captured | 1P | Six engine jet bomber | Ger |
| Nakajima | Orange Blossom | Kikka | 7Aug45 | 2P | Twin jet bomber on Me-262 model. | Jap |
| Northrop | XP79B | Flying Ram | 12Sep45 | 2P | Flying wing | US |
| Alekseyev | I-211 | Istrebitel | Fall 1947 | 2P | Twin jet fighter on Me-262 model. | USSR |
| Messerschmitt | P.1101 | video | damaged in capture | 1P | Variable sweep experimental aircraft; Bell X-5,June 20, 1951 | Ger |
| Followup | ||||||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich | Mig 15 | Fagot | Dec 1947 | 12,000 | From Focke-Wulf Ta 183 | USSR |
| FMS | IAe Pulqui II. | Arrow | June 1950 | 4 P | From Focke-Wulf Ta 183 | Argentina |
ROCKET PLANE DEVELOPMENT during World War Two (1,186) 
Ohka video
| See Lippishch Duck, 1928, Ger | ||||||
| Messerschmitt | Me-163 | Komet video | Sum'41 | 400 | May'44. | Ger |
| Berezniak Isaev | BI-2 | Rocket Fighter | May42 | 7P | Also with ramjets on wings | USSR |
| Northrop | MX-334 | Flying Wing | Jun44 | 1P | US | |
| Yokosuka | Ohka-11 | Buka | Nov44 | 755 | Suicide bomb | Jap |
| Bachem | Ba-349 | Natter | Dec44 | 20+ | Rocket Fighter | Ger |
| Northrop | XP-79A | Flying Ram | - | Flying wing, design canceled | US | |
| Messerschmitt | Me 263 | Komet II | captured | 2P | From Me-163, longer range. (Ju 248) | Ger |
| Mitsubishi | J8M | Shusui | July45 | 1P | From Me-163 | Jap |
DUCTED FAN: Jet Thrust 
N-1 pics
| Coanda | video | Turbine | 10Dec1910 | 1P | Yes, 1910. | Romania |
| Stipa | video | Ducted Fan | 7 Oct 1932 | 1P | Italy | |
| Caproni | N-1 video | Compini | 28Aug1940 | 2P | with afterburner. | Italy |
FLYING BOMB: 
V-1 video
| Manufacture | Design | Name | Type | First Flown | Number | Operational Comment | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argus | As-014 | Vergeltungswaffe | Pulsejet | Dec'42 | 30,000 | V-1 Buzz Bomb ; 15,800 fired after 17June'44 | Germany |
| Northrop | JB-1 | video | turbojet | Dec'44 | protoype | flying wing design | USA |
| Republic-Ford | JB-2 | Loon, KGW-1 | Pulsejet | Dec'44 | 1,391 | copy of V-1 ; none fired. video | USA |
| ATSC | JB-4 | Pulsejet | Jan'45 | protoype | radio controlled from TV glide bomb; none
GB-4 with pulsejet over | USA | |
| Northrop | JB-10 | JB series | Pulsejet | Apr'45 | 10-protoype | preset flying bomb; none
JB-1 with pulsejet | USA |
ROCKET MISSILES 
V-2 video
| Manuf | Design | Name | Type | First Flown | Number | Operational Comment | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mittelwerk | V-2 | Aggregat-4 | Liquid | Oct'42 | 5,200 | ballistic missile ; 3,172 fired beginning 8Sept'44 | Germany |
| Rheinmetall | video | Rheinbote | Solid | 1943 | 220 | long range artillary fired beginning Nov'44 | Germany |
| Ruhrstahl | X-4 | Kramer X-4 | Liquid | 11Aug'44 | 1,000 | wire guided air-to-air ; video, a few launched | Germany |
| Kawasaki | | Igo-1-B | Liquid | 1944 | 180 | radio controlled,rocket powered bomb ; none fired | Japan | |
BOMBS:
POWERED GLIDE BOMB 
Hs-293 video
| Manuf | Design | Name | Type | First Flown | Number | Operational Comment | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henschel | Hs 293 | video | Solid | 1940 | 1,000 | radio-controlled, anti-ship, glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath. 30 ships hit from Aug'43 | Germany |
| McDonnell | LBD-1 | Gargoyle | JATO | Mar'45 | prototype | radio controlled anti-ship glide bomb; none | USA |
GUIDED GLIDE BOMB 
GB-4 video
| Manuf | Design | Name | Type | First Flown | Number | Operational Comment | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATSC | GB-4 | video | TV | before'44 | in service | radio controlled anti-ship glide bomb ; none before war ended | USA |
| ATSC | GB-8 | visual | protoype | radio controlled glide bomb; none | USA |
GUIDED BOMB 
Fritz X video
| Manuf | Design | Name | Type | First Flown | Number | Operational Comment | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruhrstahl | FX 1400 | Fritz X | visual | 1939 | 1,400 | remote-controlled free-falling anti-ship bomb 7 ships hit from July'43 including battleship Roma sunk | Germany |
| ATSC | VB-1 | Azon | visual | 15,000 | lateral controlled free-falling anti-bridge bomb video 7:15 | USA | |
| ATSC | VB-3 | Razon | visual | 3,000 | 2D Azon , none before war ended. video | USA | |
| NatlBuStd | N-2 | Bat video | radar | Summer'44 | 2,580 | radar controlled free-falling anti-ship bomb | USA |
| NDRC | VB-6 | Felix video | irfrared | in production | IR 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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