The Messerschmitt Me , nicknamed Schwalbe German for " Swallow " in fighter versions, or Sturmvogel " Storm Bird " in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt.
It was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft and "the only jet fighter to see air-to-air combat in World War Two ". It made its maiden flight on 18 April with a piston engine , and its first jet-powered flight on 18 July The aircraft became operational with the Luftwaffe in mid The Me was faster and more heavily armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor. One of the most advanced WWII combat aircraft, [ 7 ] the Me operated as a light bomber , reconnaissance aircraft , and experimental night fighter.
The Me proved an effective dogfighter against Allied fighters; German pilots claimed Allied aircraft were shot down, [ 8 ] data also used by the US Navy [ 9 ] although higher claims have sometimes been made.
Late-war Allied attacks on fuel supplies also reduced the aircraft's readiness for combat and training sorties. Armament production within Germany was focused on more easily manufactured aircraft. Also, Israel may have used between two and eight Me s. These were supposedly built by Avia and supplied covertly, and there has been no official confirmations of their use. Many captured Me s were studied and flight-tested by the major powers, and influenced the designs of production aircraft such as the North American F Sabre , MiG , and Boeing B Stratojet.
Some privately built flying reproductions have also been produced; these are usually powered by modern General Electric CJ engines. As a result, the Me was already under development as Projekt or P. During April , initial plans were drawn up and, following their submission in June , the original design was very different from the aircraft that eventually entered service.
