The first jet aircraft for passengers. The first jet

In the minds of a large number of people, one way or another connected with general aviation, the concept of a “personal aircraft” for some time was inextricably linked with light single- or twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft, which were equipped with turboprop or piston engines. Until very recently, jet aircraft were considered too expensive and uneconomical for customers who could afford such a mode of transport. There is nothing strange in this, since even cheap planes with jet engines cost several million dollars, and their powerful engines consumed large amounts of fuel compared to their piston counterparts. Therefore, attempts to create a small jet aircraft for private use for many years ended in nothing.

However, today there is every reason to believe that significant changes will occur in business aviation in the near future: the era of single-engine and twin-engine jet aircraft is coming. In this case, we are talking not only about business class jet aircraft, which are designed to carry 4-8 passengers, but about cars that are similar to sports cars. That is, ordinary 2-4 seater jet aircraft, which are in no way inferior to their counterparts with piston engines.

At the same time, naturally, civil business jet aircraft such as ECLIPSE 500, CITATION MUSTANG, ADAM 700 and Embraer PHENOM 100 have more prospects in the market, as they allow you to comfortably move a small company anywhere. According to experts, in the next 10 years, about 4300-5400 “pocket” jet aircraft will be sold in the world, and this is already quite an impressive figure. At the same time, there is a demand not only for standard business jets, but also for completely new machines, super-light business jets or even unique air taxis.

Such aircraft even have a special designation VLG - Very Light Jet. Entry-level jets or personal jets, previously such aircraft were often called microjets. The maximum passenger capacity of such vehicles does not exceed 4-8 people, and the maximum weight does not exceed 4,540 kg. Such aircraft are lighter than those models that are usually called business jets and are designed to be flown by one pilot. Examples of such machines are the models already mentioned above.

The ultra-light jet is a completely new concept, and a growing number of experts around the world are concluding that the introduction of such aircraft could revolutionize the business aviation segment. Honeywell and Rolls-Royce took this factor into account in time when drawing up their rather serious annual forecasts for assessing the market situation. The market situation is already changing. The widespread use of composite materials in the creation of aircraft, the miniaturization of jet engines, the emergence of new aviation electronic systems, all this, starting from the late 1990s, has been moving the market for such aircraft forward.

Currently, owners of aircraft equipped with piston engines, some of which were designed and built in the post-war period, are beginning to think about purchasing modern jet aircraft. The enormous interest of the audience led to the emergence of a large number of very diverse projects and developments. Unfortunately, most of them will forever remain concepts and projects that have not even reached the prototype stage.

Embraer PHENOM 100

Currently, the prospect of purchasing your own jet aircraft on the market for a conditional $500,000 leaves a large number of aviation professionals indifferent, but those people who love and have dreamed of flying all their lives - and they are the main buyers of such unusual means of transportation - simply could not believe your luck. And although the real cost of the Brazilian first-born has exceeded 1 million dollars (sales started at prices of 1.3 million dollars), it remains not just competitive, but simply a unique offer with an incredibly low price. It was simply unrealistic to purchase such an aircraft with such flight characteristics in the recent past. At the same time, all airline companies operating in this segment are trying to do everything possible to ensure that prices for their products do not exceed the psychologically important mark of $1 million.

The passion for the Very Light Jet has even led to quite bold projects, such as the transformation of a combat trainer aircraft into a civilian ultra-light jet. It’s not hard to imagine if Russia’s most modern training aircraft, the Yak-130, suddenly became available to civilian customers. There would definitely be a demand for it. There would be their own home-grown “Abramovichs” (and not their own), who would want to purchase something vaguely, but reminiscent of a combat vehicle. This opportunity was almost realized by Aviation Technology Group (ATG).

A huge number of different scenarios of possible air battles were “hardwired” into its on-board electronics, as well as simulating the operation of self-defense systems and on-board weapons, the ability to analyze the pilot’s actions and plan combat sorties. According to representatives of the ATG company, the implementation of all this in practice made it possible to successfully use the ATG Javelin not only for basic and initial training of pilots, but also for advanced training of military pilots, who could then move on to control such machines as the Eurofighter, Su-30 or Rafale.

In its design, the ATG Javelin trainer was similar to a fighter with a lightweight and durable airframe, which was produced with extensive use of composite materials. The crew members were seated in the cockpit in tandem under a special two-section canopy. The vehicle was distinguished by a low cantilever wing with a swept leading edge. The swept horizontal tail, 2 fins, 2 ventral ridges were inclined outward by 20°. The aircraft's landing gear was three-post, the nose gear was equipped with a hydraulic drive. The engines were mounted behind the cockpit, and air was supplied to them through the side air intakes. Flat exhaust nozzles were located between the fins.

Also, the creators of the car hoped to be certified according to FAR-23 standards. The first flight, the only completed copy of the ATG Javelin, was carried out on September 30, 2005. Despite the fact that the company received 150 firm orders for its brainchild, ATG was never able to find a strategic partner that would allow the new product to be launched into mass production. In 2008, the company declared itself bankrupt, and development and testing of the ATG Javelin was stopped. Thus, fans of light aviation lost the opportunity to get their hands on a practically combat training aircraft with an enviable, almost supersonic speed. The maximum speed of the ATG Javelin was 975 km/h.

Information sources:
-http://luxury-info.ru/avia/airplanes/articles/karmannie-samoleti.html
-http://pkk-avia.livejournal.com/41955.html
-http://www.dogswar.ru/oryjeinaia-ekzotika/aviaciia/6194-ychebno-boevoi-samol.html

In our era, it is hardly possible to surprise anyone with technological innovations. Moreover, now that the development of technology has gained momentum at a speed that was simply not dreamed of in past eras. The same goes for airplanes. Now with turbojet engines it’s a common thing. And once upon a time people could not even dream of such a thing.

The world's first passenger jet aircraft appeared only in the middle of the last century, when the development of aviation continued actively. Of course, in connection with the Second World War, special attention was paid primarily to the military, so after its end, engineers and inventors turned their attention to passenger airliners.

First, let's define what kind of aircraft this is? This is an airplane whose engine is a jet.

The principle of its operation is to use a mixture of air taken from the atmosphere and products of fuel oxidation with oxygen that are in the air.

Thanks to the oxidation reaction, the working fluid heats up and, expanding, is thrown out of the engine very quickly, producing jet thrust.

First models The planes that later became prototypes for passenger airliners were developed then in Germany, or rather in the Third Reich, and in Great Britain.

The pioneers in this area are the Germans. Heinkel He 178 - Considered to be the first jet-powered aircraft. The aircraft showed quite encouraging results, but the higher-ups, represented by the Reich Ministry of Aviation, considered that this technology was not interesting. And the main direction then was precisely military aviation equipment.

The British also kept up with the Germans. And in 1941 the world saw the Gloster E.28/39. The engine designer was Frank Whittle.

Gloster E.28/39.

It was these prototypes that showed everyone which way aviation would go in the future.

The first jet passenger aircraft

The first jet aircraft for passengers was created by the British. “Comet-1”. He was tested July 27, 1949. It had 4 turbojet engines, and the interior was designed for 32 passengers. In addition, it was installed 2 hydrogen peroxide accelerators. It was used on routes to Europe and Africa. For example, Johannesburg with stops along the way. The entire flight time was 23.5 hours.

Later “Kometa-2” and “Kometa-3” were developed, but they did not live up to expectations and were discontinued due to metal fatigue and insufficient fuselage strength. Yet some modifications are still used to design RAF fighter aircraft.

Six years later, the USSR introduced the TU-104. The first Soviet jet passenger aircraft. For the first time he took to the air June 15, 1955. A.N. Tupolev took as the basis for his project bomber with TU-16 jet engines. He simply enlarged the fuselage, lowered the wing under it, and placed it in the cabin 100 seats for passengers. Since 1956 it was put into mass production.

For the next two years it was the world's only jet aircraft, which was used to transport civilians. He had 2 turbojet engines. Its maximum the speed reached 950 km/h, and it could fly up to 2700 km.

It also introduced the following new products for the USSR, like on-board meals, beautifully dressed flight attendants and smart pilots.

Nevertheless, Over the 4 years of its operation, 37 accidents involving this aircraft occurred. This is the highest number of accidents among all Russian aircraft. It is not surprising that N.S. Khrushchev refused to even approach him. Despite the fact that it was discontinued, it was still used until 1979 for flights.

In 1958 went on passenger lines. It could take on board from 90 to 180 passengers. Different models were equipped with engines of different power. The aircraft was intended for medium and long-distance routes. However, there were much more accidents with it than with the TU-104.

SE.210 Caravelle 1.

A breakthrough in world aviation was the creation of the French SE.210 Caravelle 1. He started flying in 1959, mainly in the colonies of France, in Africa. He also had 2 turbojet engines, but from Rolls-Royce, in the tail of the plane. This helped to achieve improved aerodynamics, minimized noise in the cabin, and increased the reliability of the air intakes.

And the ramp was also made in a different way than other aircraft of that time - in the form of a lowering part of the fuselage. There were also innovations in the salon: The portholes became larger and the passage was widened.

It was used on medium-range routes only.

A total of 12 aircraft of this type were produced, but still it could not withstand the competition with Boeing, and further production was stopped. Humanity has dreamed of heaven since ancient times. It was not for nothing that it was called the fifth ocean, and those who subsequently conquered it were called balloonists. Attempts to rise into the sky have been made since the Middle Ages. The world's geniuses struggled to solve the riddle, including Leonardo da Vinci who created models of gliders on paper. And indeed, until they invented the motor and had no idea about electricity, it was gliders that became the limit of research for scientists and inventors. Those who decided to carry out the tests were sailors, that is, they knew about operating large machines and were not afraid of danger and risks. In the 20th century The Wright brothers created the first controllable airplane

, which became an analogue of modern aircraft. They thought that it is not enough to lift the car into the air, you need to control it. Their journey was long, full of unsuccessful attempts, but in the end it was crowned with resounding success. Despite the fact that flights were unsafe, there was no shortage of pilots and testers.

The Wright brothers' airplane is one of the first flying machines

7 years after the creation of the Wright brothers' airplane, Russia was already actively developing its own aircraft. There were already several factories here, where production was in full swing. It was on the territory of Russia that the first airplane for passengers was created, and we owe this discovery to Igor Sikorsky.

Serial production began in 1913. Generally, "Ilya Muromets" Then he set many records. It could carry a large amount of cargo, could carry people, and stayed in the air for the longest time. With the outbreak of the First World War, of course, it began to be actively used for military purposes. But still, it was originally a passenger plane. These machines amazed contemporaries, but now seem ridiculous. However, for engineers it was a huge breakthrough. The aircraft had the following parameters:

1. Length - almost 20 meters.
2. The wingspan is 30 meters.
3. Weight without passengers and cargo – 3 tons.
4. Flight without refueling – 10 hours.
5. Speed ​​– up to 130 kilometers per hour.

In addition, initially there was light, heating and even a small room with a toilet on board - for that time this was incredible and was regarded as a breakthrough. Unfortunately, the war came and there was no talk of passenger aviation.

"Ilya Muromets" is used both as a bomber and for delivering ammunition to units. It cannot be said that it was effective at such a time, but still, aviation began to be used for military purposes almost immediately and was a great success. After the end of the war, active developments were carried out in this area, because aircraft were rapidly entering modern life.

Airplane Ilya Muromets

The Next Step for Civil Aviation: Jets

About 60 years ago the jet age arrived. At the same time, the first jet passenger aircraft in the world was created. It's called TU-104, and its development and design is a real step forward for world aviation. The first project was created in the 50s, but it took time to bring it to fruition. Essentially, this aircraft is a modified and converted bomber with an expanded side.

Testing began in 1955. Since everyone in the USSR was interested in such a promising development and a leading position in the world, the authorities did not skimp on developments. As a result, within a year, thanks to prompt and hasty modifications, the airliner began to be used for its intended purpose.

You need to understand that the TU-104 is not an exact copy of a military aircraft. The fuselage was completely redesigned, two jet engines were completely redesigned, and the landing gear was improved. In 1956, the first flight from Moscow to Irkutsk was made. This aircraft has the following characteristics, impressive even for modern times (considering that then this simply did not exist):

• length – 39 meters;
• wingspan - almost 35 meters;
• jet speed - 800 kilometers per hour;
• range - 2750 kilometers;
• weight - four tons when empty.

The first passenger jet can initially fly to a height of 11 thousand meters. However, real problems began there: steering failure, deviations, and the inability to cope with air flows.

One of the first passenger jets

Risks and improvements

The first jet aircraft was far from ideal. It was often necessary to make emergency landings and carry out repairs. TU-104 has undergone a number of changes. This required reducing the maximum altitude to 10 thousand. We also had to make structural changes. Experts say that initially all the problems arose due to the fact that it was necessary to quickly release the aircraft into open production, so seemingly minor flaws were left unattended.

It is not surprising that as a result, engineers began to actively change and refine the design. For example, it was possible to almost completely eliminate problems with steering wheel deflection and jamming. All this resulted in attractive statistics: the jet aircraft covered the route three times faster than older models (which used piston systems). On average, one TU-104 could carry 100 people on board. At the end of the 50s, it was the main passenger aircraft in Russia (more precisely, in the USSR). He could fly direct flights to Khabarovsk, Tbilisi, and Tashkent.

In 1957, tests were carried out on a modified TU-104A. It changed the engines, focusing on increasing power. They also added 20 new seats, although passengers complained about some cramped conditions. Subsequently, more and more modifications were carried out. This series of specifications was finally discontinued in 1980.

In contact with

Jet aircraft are the most powerful and modern aircraft of the 20th century. Their fundamental difference from others is that they are driven by an air-breathing or jet engine. Currently, they form the basis of modern aviation, both civil and military.

History of jet aircraft

Romanian designer Henri Coanda tried to create jet aircraft for the first time in the history of aviation. This was at the very beginning of the 20th century, in 1910. He and his assistants tested a plane named after him, the Coanda-1910, which was equipped with a piston engine instead of the familiar propeller. It was he who drove the elementary vane compressor.

However, many doubt that this was the first jet aircraft. After the end of World War II, Coanda said that the model he created was a motor-compressor air-breathing engine, contradicting himself. He made no such claims in his original publications and patent applications.

Photographs of the Romanian plane show that the engine is located near the wooden fuselage, so if the fuel were burned, the pilot and the plane would have been destroyed by the resulting fire.

Coanda himself claimed that the fire actually destroyed the tail of the plane during the first flight, but no documentary evidence has been preserved.

It is worth noting that in jet aircraft produced in the 1940s, the skin was all-metal and had additional thermal protection.

Experiments with jet aircraft

The first jet aircraft officially took off on June 20, 1939. It was then that the first experimental flight of an aircraft created by German designers took place. A little later, Japan and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition released their samples.

The German company Heinkel began experiments with jet aircraft in 1937. Just two years later, the He-176 model made its first official flight. However, after the first five test flights, it became obvious that there was no chance of launching this model into series.

Problems of the first jet aircraft

There were several mistakes made by German designers. Firstly, the engine chosen was a liquid-jet engine. It used methanol and hydrogen peroxide. They performed the functions of fuel and oxidizer.

The developers assumed that these jets would be able to reach speeds of up to one thousand kilometers per hour. However, in practice it was possible to achieve a speed of only 750 kilometers per hour.

Secondly, the aircraft had exorbitant fuel consumption. You had to take so much of it with you that the aircraft could move a maximum of 60 kilometers from the airfield. Afterwards he needed refueling. The only advantage, in comparison with other early models, was the fast rate of climb. It was 60 meters per second. At the same time, subjective factors played a certain role in the fate of this model. So, Adolf Hitler, who was present at one of the test launches, simply did not like it.

First production sample

Despite the failure with the first model, it was German aircraft designers who were the first to launch jet aircraft into mass production.

The production of the Me-262 model was put into production. This aircraft made its first test flight in 1942, at the height of World War II, when Germany had already invaded the territory of the Soviet Union. This novelty could significantly influence the final outcome of the war. This combat aircraft entered service with the German army already in 1944.

Moreover, the aircraft was produced in various modifications - both as a reconnaissance aircraft, and as an attack aircraft, and as a bomber, and as a fighter. In total, one and a half thousand of these aircraft were produced before the end of the war.

These jet military aircraft had enviable technical characteristics by the standards of the time. They were equipped with two turbojet engines and had an 8-stage axial compressor. Unlike the previous model, this one, widely known as the Messerschmitt, did not consume so much fuel and had good flight performance.

The speed of the jet reached 870 kilometers per hour, the flight range was more than a thousand kilometers, the maximum altitude was over 12 thousand meters, and the rate of climb was 50 meters per second. The weight of the empty aircraft was less than 4 tons, fully equipped it reached 6 thousand kilograms.

The Messerschmitts were armed with 30-mm cannons (there were at least four of them), and the total mass of missiles and bombs that the aircraft could carry was about one and a half thousand kilograms.

During World War II, Messerschmitts destroyed 150 aircraft. German aviation losses amounted to about 100 aircraft. Experts note that the number of losses could be much lower if the pilots were better prepared to work on a fundamentally new aircraft. In addition, there were problems with the engine, which wore out quickly and was unreliable.

Japanese sample

During the Second World War, almost all warring countries sought to produce their first aircraft with a jet engine. Japanese aircraft engineers distinguished themselves by being the first to use a liquid-propellant jet engine in mass production. It was used in the Japanese manned projectile aircraft used to fly kamikazes. From the end of 1944 to the end of World War II, more than 800 of these aircraft entered service with the Japanese army.

Technical characteristics of the Japanese jet aircraft

Since this plane, in fact, was disposable - kamikazes immediately crashed on it, they built it on the principle of “cheap and cheerful.” The nose part was made of a wooden glider; upon takeoff, the aircraft reached speeds of up to 650 kilometers per hour. All thanks to three liquid-propellant jet engines. The plane did not require take-off engines or landing gear. He managed without them.

The Japanese kamikaze aircraft was delivered to the target by an Ohka bomber, after which the liquid-propellant jet engines were turned on.

At the same time, Japanese engineers and the military themselves noted that the efficiency and productivity of such a scheme was extremely low. The bombers themselves were easily identified using locators installed on ships that were part of the American Navy. This happened even before the kamikazes had time to tune in to the target. Ultimately, many aircraft died on distant approaches to their final destination. Moreover, they shot down both the planes in which the kamikazes were sitting and the bombers that delivered them.

UK response

On the British side, only one jet aircraft took part in World War II - the Gloster Meteor. He made his first combat mission in March 1943.

It entered service with the British Royal Air Force in mid-1944. Its serial production continued until 1955. And these aircraft were in service until the 70s. In total, about three and a half thousand of these aircraft rolled off the assembly line. And a wide variety of modifications.

During World War II, only two modifications of fighters were produced, then their number increased. Moreover, one of the modifications was so secret that they did not fly into enemy territory, so that in the event of a crash they would not fall to enemy aviation engineers.

They were mainly engaged in repelling air attacks by German aircraft. They were based near Brussels in Belgium. However, from February 1945, German aviation forgot about attacks, concentrating exclusively on defensive capabilities. Therefore, in the last year of World War II, out of more than 200 Global Meteor aircraft, only two were lost. Moreover, this was not a consequence of the efforts of German aviators. Both planes collided with each other while landing. There was heavy cloudiness at the airfield at that time.

Technical characteristics of the British aircraft

The British aircraft Global Meteor had enviable technical characteristics. The speed of the jet reached almost 850 thousand kilometers per hour. The wingspan is more than 13 meters, the take-off weight is about 6 and a half thousand kilograms. The plane took off to an altitude of almost 13 and a half kilometers, with a flight range of more than two thousand kilometers.

The British aircraft was armed with four 30-mm cannons, which were highly effective.

Americans are among the last

Among all the main participants in World War II, the US Air Force was one of the last to produce a jet aircraft. The American model Lockheed F-80 arrived at British airfields only in April 1945. A month before the surrender of German troops. Therefore, he practically did not have time to participate in hostilities.

The Americans actively used this aircraft a few years later during the Korean War. It was in this country that the first ever battle between two jet aircraft took place. On one side there was the American F-80, and on the other the Soviet MiG-15, which at that time was more modern, already transonic. The Soviet pilot won.

In total, more than one and a half thousand of these aircraft entered service with the American army.

The first Soviet jet aircraft rolled off the production line in 1941. He was released in record time. It took 20 days for design and another month for production. The nozzle of a jet aircraft served to protect its parts from excessive heat.

The first Soviet design was a wooden glider to which liquid-propellant jet engines were attached. When the Great Patriotic War began, all developments were transferred to the Urals. Experimental flights and tests began there. According to the designers, the plane was supposed to reach speeds of up to 900 kilometers per hour. However, as soon as its first tester, Grigory Bakhchivandzhi, approached the 800 kilometers per hour mark, the aircraft crashed. The test pilot died.

The Soviet model of the jet aircraft was finally finalized only in 1945. But mass production of two models began at once - the Yak-15 and MiG-9.

Joseph Stalin himself took part in comparing the technical characteristics of the two machines. As a result, it was decided to use the Yak-15 as a training aircraft, and the MiG-9 was placed at the disposal of the Air Force. Over three years, more than 600 MiGs were produced. However, the aircraft was soon taken out of production.

There were two main reasons. They developed it frankly in a hurry, constantly making changes. Moreover, the pilots themselves were suspicious of him. It took a lot of effort to master the car, and mistakes in piloting were absolutely forbidden.

As a result, the improved MiG-15 replaced it in 1948. A Soviet jet plane flies at a speed of more than 860 kilometers per hour.

Passenger plane

The most famous jet passenger aircraft, along with the English Concorde, is the Soviet TU-144. Both of these models were classified as supersonic.

Soviet aircraft entered production in 1968. Since then, the sound of a jet aircraft has often been heard over Soviet airfields.

On June 20, 1939, the first ever experimental jet aircraft, the He.176, created by German aircraft designers, flew. With some delay, the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, as well as Japan, produced jet vehicles.

1. First pancake

Work on the creation of the first jet aircraft began at Heinkel in 1937. And two years later the He.176 made its first flight. After five flights, it became clear that he did not have the slightest chance of going into production.

The designers chose for it a liquid-jet engine with a thrust of 600 kgf, which uses methanol and hydrogen peroxide as fuel and oxidizer. It was assumed that the car would reach a speed of 1000 km/h, but it was only possible to accelerate it to 750 km/h. The enormous fuel consumption did not allow the aircraft to move more than 60 km from the airfield. The only advantage compared to conventional fighters was the enormous rate of climb, equal to 60 m/s, which was three times higher than that of vehicles with piston engines.

The fate of the He.176 was also influenced by a subjective circumstance - during the display, Hitler did not like the plane.

2. First serial

Germany was ahead of everyone in creating the first production jet aircraft. It became Me.262. It made its first flight in July 1942 and entered service in 1944. The aircraft was produced both as a fighter, and as a bomber, and as a reconnaissance aircraft, and as an attack aircraft. In total, almost one and a half thousand vehicles entered the army.

The Me.262 used two Jumo-004 turbojet engines with a thrust of 910 kgf, which had an 8-stage axial compressor, a single-stage axial turbine and 6 combustion chambers.

Unlike the He.176, which succeeded in devouring fuel, the jet Messerschmitt was a successful machine with excellent flight characteristics:

Maximum speed at altitude - 870 km/h

Flight range - up to 1050 km

Practical ceiling - 12200 m

Rate of climb - 50 m/s

Length - 10.9 m

Height - 3.8 m

Wingspan - 12.5 m

Wing area - 21.8 sq.m.

Empty weight - 3800 kg

Curb weight - 6000 kg

Armament - up to 4 30 mm cannons, from 2 to 14 hardpoints; weight of suspended missiles or bombs up to 1500 kg.

During the period of hostilities, Me.262 shot down 150 aircraft. Losses amounted to 100 aircraft. This accident rate was largely due to both insufficient training of pilots for flights on a fundamentally new aircraft, and to defects in the engine, which had a short service life and low reliability.

3. One way ticket

The liquid-propellant jet engine was used in only one production aircraft during World War II. In the Japanese Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka manned bomber aircraft designed for kamikaze use. From the end of 1944 until the end of the war, 825 of them were produced.

The plane was built on the principle of “cheap and cheerful.” A wooden glider with 1.2 tons of ammonal in the nose was equipped with three liquid-propellant rocket engines that operated for 10 seconds and accelerated the aircraft to a speed of 650 km/h. There were no landing gear or take-off engines. The bomber delivered the Ohka on a sling within visual range of the target. After which the rocket engine was ignited.

However, the effectiveness of such a scheme was low. Because the bombers were detected by the locators of American Navy ships before the kamikazes were aimed at the target. As a result, both bombers and aircraft-shells filled with ammonal died senselessly at distant approaches.

4. British centenarian

The Gloster Meteor was the only Allied jet aircraft to see action in World War II. It made its first flight in March 1943, entered service with the Royal Air Force in July 1944, was produced until 1955 inclusive, and was in service with the air forces of a number of British military allies until the end of the 70s. A total of 3,555 vehicles of various modifications were produced.

During the war period, two modifications of the fighter were produced - F. Mk I and F. Mk III. The F. Mk I squadron shot down 10 German V-1s. F. Mk III, due to their special secrecy, were not released into enemy territory. And they had to repel the attacks of the Luftwaffe, based near Brussels. However, starting in February 1945, German aviation was exclusively engaged in defense. Of the 230 Gloster Meteors produced up to mid-1945, only two were lost when they collided while landing in heavy cloud conditions.

Performance characteristics of Gloster Meteor F. Mk III:

Length - 12.6 m

Height - 3.96 m

Wingspan - 13.1 m

Wing area - 34.7 sq.m.

Take-off weight - 6560 kg

Engines - 2TRD

Thrust - 2×908 kgf

Maximum speed - 837 km/h

Ceiling - 13400 m

Range - 2160 km

Armament - 4 30mm cannons

5. Late to the call

The American Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star began arriving at British airfields immediately before the end of hostilities in Europe - in April 1945. He didn't have time to fight. The F-80 was used extensively as a fighter-bomber a few years later during the Korean War.

The first ever battle between two jet fighters took place on the Korean Peninsula. F-80 and the more modern transonic Soviet MiG-15. The Soviet pilot won.

A total of 1,718 of these early American jets were produced.

Performance characteristics of Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star:

Length - 10.5 m

Height - 3.45 m

Wingspan - 11.85 m

Wing area - 22.1 sq.m.

Take-off weight - 5300 kg

Engines - 1TRD

Thrust - 1×1746 kgf

Maximum speed - 880 km/h

Rate of climb - 23 m/s

Ceiling - 13700 m

Range - 1255 km, with PTB - 2320 km

Armament - 6 12.7 mm machine guns, 8 unguided rockets, 2 454 kg bombs.

6. Soviet-style tender

The first Soviet experimental aircraft BI-1 was designed in the spring of 1941 in twenty days and completed in a month. A wooden glider to which a liquid-propellant rocket engine was attached - it was purely Stakhanov-style. After the start of the war, the plane was evacuated to the Urals. And in July they began testing. According to the designers' plans, BI-1 was supposed to reach a speed of 900 km/h. However, when the famous tester Grigory Yakovlevich Bakhchivandzhi approached the 800 km/h line, the plane lost control and crashed to the ground.

The creation of a jet fighter was normally approached only in 1945. And not even one, but two. By the middle of the year, a twin-engine MiG-9 and a single-engine Yak-15 were designed. They took off on the same day - April 24, 1946.

The MiG was more fortunate in terms of its use in the Air Force. As a result of a comparison of the characteristics of the two machines, in which Stalin also took part, the Yak-15 was ordered to be made into a training aircraft for training jet pilots.

The MiG-9 has become a fighting machine. And already in 1946 he began to join the Air Force units. Over three years, 602 aircraft were produced. However, two circumstances greatly affected its fate, and therefore the MiG-9 was discontinued.

Firstly, its development was carried out at an accelerated pace. As a result, until 1948, changes were regularly made to the design of the aircraft.

Secondly, the pilots were very suspicious of the new machine, which required great effort to master and was not forgiving of even minor piloting errors. They were much more familiar with the Yak-15, which was as close as possible to the Yak-3, perfectly familiar to everyone. Actually, it was built on its basis with the necessary minimal deviations.

And in 1948, the first jet fighter, which turned out to be damp, was replaced by the more advanced MiG-15.

Flight characteristics of MiG-9:

Length - 9.75 m

Wingspan - 10.0 m

Wing area - 18.2 sq.m.

Take-off weight - 4990 kg

Engines - 2TRD

Thrust - 2×800 kgf

Maximum speed - 864 km/h

Rate of climb - 22 m/s

Ceiling - 13500 m

Flight duration at an altitude of 5000 m - 1 hour

Armament - 3 guns.