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The First Jet
On August 27, 1939, the first turbojet aircraft was flown. It was called the Heinkel He 178, and was the first jet ever created, and flown. It was developed in Germany by Ernst Heinkel, and was supposed to be made for the war. Although it reached speeds of 380 mph, Udet, Milch, and Schelp were unimpressed, as its combat endurance was only 10 minutes, it wasn't a military aircraft, and it had no weapons. -
The First Fighter Jet
On April 18, 1941, Messerschmitt Me 262 became the first operational fighter jet to fly successfully. The idea came up in 1938, and a team led by Dr. Waldemar Voigt took on the challenge. Its top speed was about 540 mph, which was 120 mph faster than the North American Mustang at the same altitude. Despite being ahead of its time, there were problems. They didn't have the resources to build the aircraft created forced labor in concentration camps. Competition with other manufacturers was steep. -
Previous Jet
The F-15 Silent Eagle (SE) was first flown on July 8th, 2010. It is another version of the F-15 Strike Eagle, but has added stealth. When the Strike Eagle was operational, it held the best kill-to-loss ratios of the modern era. They planned to add radar absorbing materials to help add to its stealth. In August of 2013, it was the selected winner of South Korea's F-X Phase 3 fighter program. However, they saw F-35 as better and made an inventory for 60, and the F-15SE eventually died off. -
The Newest Jet
The most up to date jet is the F-35. It has a significant fuel capacity out of other jets. It has basically replaced the traditional knobs and switches with an iPad interface. Compared to other jets, it has larger wings that can fold for more room when on a carrier, and more durable landing gear. The F-35C has a combination of stealth, advanced jamming & threat system destruction, and enhances mission success rates, making it easier to survive. On November 27th, 2017, it is now combat ready.
