The first Jet used in combat was the German Me 262. It was used in 1944 in a multi roles. This aircraft was a leap in technology, and if it had come earlier could have affected the war, but by the time it was being produced Germany was running out of oil, but more importantly it was running out of experienced pilots.
To get these jets flying and to try and counter the B-24's and B-17's devastating the German landscape, the Luftwaffe was using young and untested pilots many who could not control the new aircraft and crashed before ever engaging in a fight.
1,430 were built, and did have about 500 claimed kills, but nearly 100 were lost.
This was a pivotal leap in plane technology, and after the war the United States and Russia both quickly began working on their own jet fighters.
On a side note there us restored Me 262 on display at the Willow Grove NAS. This aircraft is able to be seen by the public and we are very lucky to have such an important piece of combat history in our area.
To get these jets flying and to try and counter the B-24's and B-17's devastating the German landscape, the Luftwaffe was using young and untested pilots many who could not control the new aircraft and crashed before ever engaging in a fight.
1,430 were built, and did have about 500 claimed kills, but nearly 100 were lost.
This was a pivotal leap in plane technology, and after the war the United States and Russia both quickly began working on their own jet fighters.
On a side note there us restored Me 262 on display at the Willow Grove NAS. This aircraft is able to be seen by the public and we are very lucky to have such an important piece of combat history in our area.
The emergence of the jet engine as a practical means of propulsion unlocked a Pandora’s box of new problems for aircraft designers to solve new aerodynamic factors, new degrees of stress, and new forces with which propeller driven aircraft previously had not had to contend with, most notably the sound barrier. In order to explore these new lands, the airplane had to be redesigned. Like no other single technology, the jet engine revolutionized air travel around the world. However, there were major concerns about transferring jet engine technology to the commercial aviation sector. Airline executives in the postwar era were conscious of this. Even though jet engines were simpler than the old piston engines; they also had high operating temperatures. This required a very costly metal alloy mechanism that, in the end, would affect an aircraft's durability and dependability. Today, jet travel transformed air travel throughout the world. For the airlines, jet travel forced them to establish much higher standards of maintenance, mandatory to have enhanced facilities on the ground and highly qualified employees. For us, the passengers, flights are smoother, less noisy, and most importantly, require less travel time.
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