With the Me 262, for instance, Messerschmitt had built the first ever turbojet plane. But there are several reasons why the Me 262 failed to have the impact on the war that it could have.

While the numbers may be inflated, Luftwaffe pilots claimed that the Me 262 shot down 542 Allied aircraft during the war.

During the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe developed several jet-powered aircraft, beginning with the Me-262, Me-163 Komet, and the He-162. Despite being among the most advanced aircraft in ...