German Messerschmitt Me 262 V3 third prototype airframe still fitted with a taildragger undercarriage makes its first flight powered by jet engines in Leipheim on July 18th 1942 piloted by Friedrich "Fritz" Wendel

It would be another two years before the Me 262 would fly its first combat mission and by then, control of the skies over the Third Reich had already been lost and it was too little too late with no safe bases from marauding Allied fighters

While not without its issues, the type's performance was superb and it was one of the few aircraft with a realistic chance of catching up with reconnaissance Spitfires and Mosquitoes flying fast and high over occupied Europe

On the subject I recently contributed to a @TJ3History piece focusing on the jet's armament

Frontal.

"Es ist, als wenn ein Engel schiebt" Adolf Galland after his first Me 262 flight in May 43.

The shark body is beautiful. I prefer the production model with the front wheel but the fuselage lines I always found it striking.

74 days later (October 1, 1942) was the first flight powered by jet engines of the XP-59 at Muroc.

Tec from a new century !

Also point to note- Hitler himself was responsible for the delay. He had vague plans of using them as bombers and not fighters.

Always ‘Good German’ 🪦 Physics To enrichen ‘The💰Others’. All Throughout History ☯️, GOD Has Allowed Evil, to distinguish the Light, In Our Boot Camp…

...

Leipheim? We've been there...in 2023! Great place, you can feel the vibe of history. German Legoland is also very close, which is a plus 😃