List of jet aircraft of World War II

This is a list of jet aircraft that were developed during the Second World War:

Allies

United Kingdom

Experimental and test

• Gloster E.28/39 – May 15, 1941 first jet engined aircraft to fly in the United Kingdom, and the first jet aircraft flown by any of the Allies of World War II.

Operational

• Gloster Meteor – First operational Allied jet fighter, entered service on 27 July 1944. The first V-1 flying bombs "kill" was made by a Meteor on 4 August 1944 (another followed the same day). This was the first downing of one jet-powered aircraft by another, although that achievement is usually ascribed to the battles between manned jet aircraft during the Korean War in November 1950.
• De Havilland Vampire – Production aircraft entered service in April 1945.

United States

Experimental and test

• Bell XP-83 – redesigned P-59 for long-range escort fighter duties. Cancelled after two prototypes.
• Consolidated Vultee XP-81 – mixed power. Two prototypes built, project cancelled due to poor flight performance.
• Douglas XBTD-2 Destroyer – two prototypes modified with mixed propulsion. Cancelled due to poor performance.
• McDonnell FH Phantom – prototype, saw limited production postwar.
• Northrop XP-79 – prototype tested 5 July 1944, cancelled 1945.

Operational

• Bell P-59 Airacomet – first United States Army Air Forces jet to fly; used for training duties, contract terminated after 66 built.
• Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star – first operational USAAF jet fighter in 1945; small numbers reached the European Theater immediately before VE-Day but did not see combat.
• Ryan FR Fireball – mixed prop and jet aircraft for US Navy, first flew on June 25, 1944, but never saw combat. 66 delivered.

Soviet Union

Experimental

• Sukhoi Su-5 – combined propeller/thermojet propulsion. 1 built, first flew 6 April 1945. Grounded after piston engine failure.

Operational

• Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 – mixed power fighter using a motorjet engine creating jet thrust at the rear and also turning a propeller at the front. 10–20 estimated built. Overtaken by pure jet aircraft.

Axis

Nazi Germany

Experimental and test

• Fieseler Fi 103R – piloted V-1 flying bomb.
• Heinkel He 178 – first aircraft ever to fly under turbojet power, 27 August 1939
• Heinkel He 280 – first jet fighter, cancelled in favour of Me 262.
• Henschel Hs 132 – dive bomber. Factory overrun by Soviets before flown.
• Horten Ho 229 – fighter/bomber. First jet powered flying wing.
• Junkers Ju 287 – multi-engine bomber; proof-of-concept flown 16 August 1944; captured by Soviets before definitive design built.

Operational

• Messerschmitt Me 262 – first operational jet-powered fighter.
• Heinkel He 162 – Second jet engined fighter to serve with the Luftwaffe.
• Arado Ar 234 – first jet-powered bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

Kingdom of Italy

Experimental and test

• Caproni Campini N.1 – first experimental Italian thermojet.

Projects

• Reggiane Re.2007 – turbojet fighter
• Campini Caproni C.A.183bis – piston-thermojet engined high-altitude interceptor

Empire of Japan

Operational rocket aircraft

• Kuugisho/Yokosuka MXY7 – "Ohka" Suicide Attacker – prototype jet version (Models 33, 43 & 53) of rocket-powered kamikaze aircraft was constructed but never entered service.

Experimental and test

• Nakajima Kikka – turbojet interceptor, similar but smaller than Me 262, prototype flown.