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Me262 - Aircraft Profile - Messerschmitt : Me262

Me262

Manufacturer : Messerschmitt
Number Built : 1400
Production Began :
Retired :
Type :

The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late.

Me262


Latest Me262 Artwork Releases !
 Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 of 10 Staffel, Natchjagdgeschwader 11.

Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
  Walter Schuck was already credited with 198 victories before he converted to the revolutionary Me.262 Schwalbe (Swallow), an aircraft which he quickly mastered, scoring a further 8 kills in quick succession.  On the 10th of April 1945, however, Schuck himself became the victim, shot down by P51 Mustang of American Joe Peterburs.  The German ace survived by bailing out of his stricken jet, but badly injured both ankles on landing, the war ending before he was able to return to flying duties.

Wounded Swallow by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 Austrian-born Walter Nowotny was one of Germany's highest scoring aces of WWII with 258 victories to his credit, three of them flying the Messerschmitt Me.262. He is depicted here flying White 8 of Kommando Nowotny based at Achmer, Germany in 1944. He was killed in action later that year following a fraught combat with US fighters during the Defence of the Reich.

White 8 - Walter Nowotny by Ivan Berryman.
 In a desperate attempt to save what remained of the once-proud, now ruined city of Berlin, the remnants of the Luftwaffe's beleaguered night-fighter units fought boldly till the end.  Short on fuel, spares and ammunition, the pilots of NJG11 faced the impossible task of protecting the shattered capital from the far-reaching arm of the RAF Bomber Command.  As the climax of the inevitable defeat approaches, Leutnant Jorg Cypionka of 10./NJG11 engages a powerful incoming force of fast, high-flying RAF Mosquitos from 139 (Jamaica) Squadron (PFF) in one of his unit's few remaining ME262A jets.  The Mosquito crews, however, know the dangers of these hotly contested skies over Berlin only too well.  From the night of 20/21 February the aircraft of 139 Squadron will run the deadly gauntlet of flak and night-fighters on 36 consecutive night attacks on the city.

Night Hunters by Anthony Saunders.

Me262 Artwork Collection



Ready for Combat by Ivan Berryman.


Morning Maintenance by Ivan Berryman.


Defending the Homeland by Ivan Berryman.


Me262B Night Fighter by Ivan Berryman.


Messerschmitt 262 by Graeme Lothian. (P)


Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 by Ivan Berryman.


Jet Ace by Brian Bateman. (P)


Wounded Swallow by Ivan Berryman.


Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P)


Clipped Signature - Adolf Galland.


Clipped Signature - Walter Schuck.


Clipped Signature - Hermann Buchner.


Clipped Signature - Werner Roell.


Clipped Signature - Gunther Rall.


Clipped Signature - Hans-Ekkehard Bob.


Clipped Signature - Wolfgang Schenck.


Clipped Signature - Herbert Altner.


Clipped Signature - Wendelin Trenkle.


Jet Attack by David Pentland.


Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian.


Me262 1As of 3rd Gruppe JG7 by Randall Wilson. (GL)


In Defense of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian.


JV44 - Kette of Swallows by Graeme Lothian.


Adolf Galland by Graeme Lothian.


Running the Gauntlet by Robert Taylor.

Thunder from the Heavens by Brian Bateman.


Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian.


End Game by Nicolas Trudgian.


Jet Strike by Nicolas Trudgian (AP)


Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian.


Alpine Thunder by Nicolas Trudgian.


Return of the Hunters by Nicolas Trudgian.


First of the Jets by Nicolas Trudgian.


Alpine Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian.


Fighter General by Robert Taylor.


Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P)


Jet Legend by Gerald Coulson.


Night Hunters by Anthony Saunders.


White 8 - Walter Nowotny by Ivan Berryman.


Out of the Blue by Ivan Berryman. (PC)


The End by David Pentland.


The New Unit, Kaltenkirchen, Germany 1945 by David Pentland.


Squadron Leader Schuck, Germany, Spring 1945 by David Pentland.


The New Steed by David Pentland.


Deadly Pass by David Pentland.


Moskito-Jager by Iain Wyllie.


Defence of the Reich by Keith Woodcock.


Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me262A-1a by Barry Price.


JV44 by Robert Taylor.


The Bridge at Remagen by Robert Taylor.


Stormbirds over the Reich by Robert Taylor.


Combat over the Reich by Robert Taylor.


Too Little Too Late by Stan Stokes.
Known Aces for this aircraft
Ace NameVictories
Gerhard Barkhorn301.00
Gunther Rall275.00
Heinz Bar220.00
Theodor Weissenberger209.00
Walter Schuck206.00
Walter Krupinski197.00
Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff176.00
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert174.00
Fritz Tegtmeier146.00
Franz Schall137.00
Hans Waldmann134.00
Walter Dahl128.00
Rudolf Rademacher126.00
Adolf Galland104.00
Alfred Teumer76.00
Adolf Glunz72.00
Alfred Heckmann71.00
Herbert Kaiser68.00
Hans-Ekkehard Bob60.00
Norbert Hannig42.00
Rudolf Sinner39.00
Erwin Leykauf33.00
Wolfgang Schenck18.00
Siegfried Muller17.00
Alfred Ambs7.00


Me262
Pilot and aircrew signature details





Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2013

Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob

After success in the Battle of Britain, Hans-Ekkehard Bob took over leadership of 9./JG54 in 1940. The following year he was awarded the Knights Cross. Transferring to the Eastern Front his victories rose steadily to 50 by September 1942. His Group later transferred back to the West for a short period, where in April 1943, he rammed a B-17 Fortress. Returning to the Eastern Front as Kommander of IV./JG3, he ended the war as Adjutant of Gallands JV44 in the West. In his 700 missions he scored 60 victories.







General Gunther Rall
Our estimated value of this signature : £75
Died : 2009

General Gunther Rall

A young pilot with III/JG52 at the outbreak of war. He quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities, scoring his first air victory early in the Battle of Britain, and by July 1940 was leading 8/JG52. After transfer to the Eastern Front his air victories mounted at an astonishing rate. A crash hospitalised him but within nine months he was back in the cockpit, and, when commanding III/JG52, gained the Wings 500th victory. Gunther fought throughout the war to become the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Gunther Rall was born on March 10, 1918 in the small Bavarian town of Gaggenau, Baden. Immersing himself in Boy Scout activities during the difficult economic times in Germany following WW 1, Rall finished school in 1936 and joined the German Army. Influenced by a friend, who was a young officer in the Luftwaffe, Rall entered pilots school in 1938. His initial posting was with JG52. He attained his first aerial victory during the Battle of France in May of 1940. During the Battle of Britain JG52 absorbed many casualties, and Rall was promoted to Squadron Commander at the young age of 22. With his fair-hair and smooth complexion the young officer looked even younger than his years. But behind this pleasant exterior was a fierce competitor with the heart of a tiger. Later, Ralls squadron would support the attack on Crete, followed by deployment to the Southern Sector on the Eastern Front. Ralls victory totals began to mount. Following his 37 th victory, GiInther was himself shot down. He was lucky to survive the crash, but with a badly broken back he would spend most of the next year in various hospitals. In Vienna at the University Hospital he would meet his future wife, Hertha. Miraculously, Rall recovered and returned to the Luftwaffe in August of 1942. By November his score exceeded 100 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves to accompany the Knights Cross he was awarded only weeks earlier. As the War progressed against Russia, Rall began to encounter ever more experienced Soviet pilots flying better performing aircraft. Despite this fact, and being shot down several more times himself, Ralls victory tally kept rising. By March of 1944 the ace had attained 273 aerial victories. With the War now going badly for Germany, Rall was transferred to the Western Front. He was able to attain only two more victories against the swarms of Allied bombers and fighter escorts which now pounded Germany every day and night. In May of 1944 Rall was shot down by a P-47. Losing his thumb in the battle he remained out of combat until later in 1944. Ralls final assignments included flying 190Ds as Kornmodore of JG300, and flying the Me-262 jet. Ralls 275 aerial victories (attained on less than 700 combat sorties) make him the third highest scoring ace of all time. If not for the down time suffered as a result of his broken back, Rall might have actually equaled or exceeded Erich Hartmanns alltime record of 352 aerial victories. Rall was not much for socializing during the War. He was a fierce competitor with a businessmans attitude about flying. He was an excellent marksman, and possibly the best deflection shot expert of the War. He continued to fly with the Bundeslufwaffe following the War, serving as its Commander-In Chief in 1970-74. Sadly Gunther Rall died on 4th October 2009.







General Johannes Steinhoff
Our estimated value of this signature : £80
Died : 1994

General Johannes Steinhoff

By early 1940 Macky Steinhoff was leading 4 / JG-52 during the Battle of Britain. He was then transferred to the eastern front where his success continued. In the final stages of the defence of the Reich he joined JV-44 flying the ME 262 in which he scored 6 victories before being seriously burned in a crash. He flew 939 missions scored 178 victories and was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak leaves and swords.




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