The Me-262 entered service in 1944  around one year before the end of WWII and was meant to change the tide of battle as the first jet fighter developed by any country. This jet fighter was revolutionary for its time because the first jet engine aircraft, the German Heinkel He 178, made its maiden flight in august of 1939 just five years before the Me-262 entered service. When the first version of the Me-262 entered service it went so fast (up to 540 MPH) that it had trouble lining up a good shot on an enemy aircraft while avoiding hitting them. The superior speed was both an advantage and a downfall. The Me-262 was almost impossible to hit with the defensive turrets of allied bombers but it was equally difficult to line up a shot with the cannons of the Me-262. The base model came equipped with four 30mm high explosive rounds which caused extreme damage when shots connected, if they connected that is. While having immense firepower and rate of fire these cannons were also very inaccurate and had a low velocity making shooting anything moving extremely difficult. Sadly the Me-262 suffered from the same issues many German vehicles share. It was over engineered for its time making it costly in maintenance and run time  compared to its enemies, the allies. Today the Me-262 is still revered as one of the biggest advancements in military jet history, because it began the age of jet aircrafts use in warfare.

Although some Me-262’s were equipped with a 50 mm cannon like this model plane, none were used in actual combat because the war ended before this version left its testing phase. This cannon was supposed to increase the effective range and accuracy of the Me-262 while keeping that explosive firepower. It still amazes me that the Germans were able to make such an effective vehicle in the time frame they were given. Even though they were on the wrong side of the war I still love this aircraft and the technological advancements that it brought.