`Schwalbe' Messerschmit ME 262 UK

The UK has only one ME262 which was rolled off the production line in March 1945. This Messerschmitt ME 262A-2a 112372 is thought to only have made one flight at the hands of Otto Kaiser on 23 March 1945

With only a couple of days remaining before the end of the war it was issued to the soon disbanded JG7

There is a bit of debate whether this is Yellow 7 as it was said to have sustained serious damage in a landing accident on 29 May 1945 while flying under evaluation with the RAF 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron and almost certainly scrapped

Therefore its more likely to be Yellow 17, being transported back to the UK in June 1945. It made a number of flights and racked up over 8 hours flying time under the RAF with its final sortie 29 November 1945.

It was earmarked for preservation and moved to Cranwell in 1947. This collection was disbanded in 1960 and the jet moved to Bicester in Oxfordshire. After a brief spell at Finningley it moved to Hendon in late 1975 where it was part of the Wings of the Eagle exhibition.

It then moved to Cosford in late 1985 before being repainted then again back to Cosford. The codes Yellow 4 were re-applied in preparation for a move to Hendon on the 14 July 2003, It stayed at Hendon until 2017 when it  moved back to Cosford.

The ME262 was named the Schwalbe  (Swallow) in the fighter model and `Stormbird' in the fighter bomber version. It was the first ever operation jet fighter

It was claimed they shot down 542 allied aircraft. As it was difficult to shoot down the jet in the air ground aircraft were targeted

Only 8 WW2 ME 262 survive with 4 in the US. Two more Czech 262 were built immediately after the war. 1430 ME 262's were built during the war.