World's First Jet Fighter Messerschmitt ME 262A-1A Schwalbe Too Fast and Too Unreliable Beating the Gloster Meteor into service by a few months, in May 1944 the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt ME 262 A Schwalbe was the first jet fighter. Fortunately for the Allies, the production of this plane was given low-priority by the Germans who thought it would not be finished before the end of the war. Even more fortunately the ME 262A was both too fast and too unreliable to give Germany back control of the skies. Its 540mph speed enabled it to zoom past Allied fighters but gave it very short windows of opportunity against slow bombers. Worse, the two Junkers Jumo turbojets were unreliable, causing engine failure, fires and break-ups. Features • 7" Long • 1:72 Scale Model • Display Stand Included • Precision Die-Cast Replica