The final years of World War II were marked by a scramble to tap jet propulsion. Higher speeds, sharper climbs, and novel tactical opportunities seemed to hold the key to revolutionizing air combat. Some projects created aircraft that became legend; others dissolved into the archive. Each, however, left an unmistakable mark on the future of flight.
5. Nakajima Kikka — Japan’s Aggressive Jet Experiment
Japan’s response to the jet era came very belatedly: the Nakajima Kikka. Roughly based on German designs, the Kikka was designed to be easy to manufacture, carrier-capable, and uncomplicated to maintain—concepts prompted by desperate wartime requirements. Designers Kenichi Matsumura and Kazuo Ohno installed folding wings for carrier stowage and equipped the airframe with two Ishikawajima Ne-20 turbojets, each producing approximately 1,047 pounds of thrust.
Those engines were made up from sparse references to German designs, and so the existence of the project is an impressive testament to wartime ingenuity. The Kikka was intended to carry bombs or, in subsequent versions, heavy cannon, but it completed only one prototype flight on August 7, 1945—just days before Japan’s surrender. With engines still in their infancy and resources all but depleted, the program never saw combat, but it demonstrated that Japanese engineers could innovate when under intense pressure.
4. Heinkel He 280 — The First Jet Fighter to Fly
The Heinkel He 280 is the first jet fighter to fly, first appearing in September 1940. With twin turbojets, it could reach speeds of about 500 mph and presented the world with the ejection seat—something that would save lives many years after the war.
Although promising, the He 280 was beaten out by other German projects for production priority and did not see extensive service. Nevertheless, its flights demonstrated that jet-powered fighters were not a theoretical leap but practical and competitive with the best piston-engine designs of their day.
3. Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star — America’s First Jet Fighter
America’s first front-line jet fighter was the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, which debuted in 1944. Initial prototypes employed British-made turbojets, and while a few P-80s were sent to Europe late in the war, they did not engage the enemy and were destroyed in non-combat accidents.
The P-80 went on to see service in Korea, where it gradually lost air-superiority glory to faster rivals such as the MiG-15 and the U.S. F-86 Sabre. Nevertheless, the Shooting Star represented the significant American entry into the jet age and provided the basis for subsequent designs.
2. Gloster Meteor — The Allied Jet That Saw Action
Britain’s Gloster Meteor commenced service in July 1944 and was the sole Allied jet that was used in World War II operations. Its main wartime function was to intercept the V1 flying bombs, where it recorded significant success, although it was helpless against the subsequent V2 rockets.
Approximately 4,000 Meteors were produced, and although it never held the title of the fastest plane of its time, it was respected for dependability and consistent performance. Strangely enough, copies of the type remained serviceable in test applications for years, highlighting the durability of the design.
1. Messerschmitt Me 262 — A Game-Changer Arrives Too Late
At the top of that list is the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first mass-produced jet fighter and perhaps the most sophisticated combat aircraft to witness the war’s final stages. Theoretically accepted in April of 1944, the Me 262 was capable of attaining speeds of about 540 mph and was well armed, a deadly menace to piston-engine foes.
Production totals hit more than 1,400, and in perfect conditions, the Me 262 fundamentally transformed air-combat realities. Perfect conditions, however, prevailed nowhere in war-torn Germany toward the end: fuel shortages, inexperienced pilots, and constant attacks on airfields meant countless jets never took to the air. The Me 262’s potential was undeniable—but so was the strategic context that kept it from altering the outcome of the war.
A Legacy Forged by Necessity
From the improvised Kikka to the advanced Me 262, these planes are snapshots of a desperate period of innovation. All were influenced by pressures of war, compromised in some aspect, and yet they all advanced jet technology—leading the way to the jets that would dominate the skies for the remainder of the 20th century and beyond.