List of jet aircraft of World War II

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.