• Top view of a green and gray camouflage fighter military monoplane with two engines. Monoplane is on display in the Museum.
    Download Image

    The Messerschmitt Me 262 surpassed the performance of every other World War II fighter. Faster than the North American P-51 Mustang by 190 kilometers (120 miles) per hour, the Schwalbe restored to the faltering German Luftwaffe a short-lived qualitative superiority that it had enjoyed earlier in the war.

  • Top view of a green and gray camouflage fighter military monoplane with two engines. Monoplane is on display in the Museum.

Created:

March 09, 2015

Photographer:

Eric Long

ID#:

NASM2015-03955

Source:

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Copyright:

Smithsonian Institution

Rights Usage:

Contact Smithsonian Institution

Terms of Use:

Smithsonian Terms of Use

For print or commercial use please see permissions information.

Related Content

Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe (Swallow)

Object