Rocket and Jet Aircraft

The Museums Current Collection

Germany
Bachem Ba 139  Natter
Flugelrad V-1
Flugelrad V-2
DFS 194
Lippisch DM1
Lippisch P 13
Me 163 Variants
Me 328 A Pulse Jet Fighter
He 176
He 178
FW Flitzer

United Kingdom
Gloster E28/39
​Gloster Meteor

USSR
​Sukhoi Su-5

---

Jet Aircraft of World War II

Germany

Experimental and test jet aircraft

• Fieseler Fi 103 R - Piloted version of the V-1 flying bomb.

• Focke-Wulf Ta 183 "Huckebein" fighter, never completed.
• Heinkel He 178 - Pioneering first aircraft to fly under turbojet power, 27 August 1939.
• Heinkel He 280 - World's first jet fighter, cancelled in favour of Me 262.
• Heinkel He 343 - Four-engined jet bomber/recon/Zerstörer, design broadly based on the Arado Ar 234, not flown.
• Henschel Hs 132 - Dive bomber. Factory overrun by Soviet forces before test flights could begin.

• Horten Ho 229 - Flying wing fighter. also known as the Horten Ho IX or Gotha Go 229, a flying wing with turbojet engines.

• Horten H.XVIII - Enlargement of the Ho 229's design, to make it a four jet engined bomber capable of reaching America.
• Junkers Ju 287 - Multi-engine bomber design; proof-of-concept aircraft flying from 16 August 1944; factory and project captured by Soviets before definitive prototype built.
• Junkers EF 132 – Advanced heavy bomber
• Messerschmitt Me P.1101 - Experimental aircraft with ground-set variable-sweep wings. ~75% complete at conclusion of war, led to the Bell X-5 US experimental aircraft.
• Lippisch P.13 - Tailless high-speed bomber, with fore-and-aft tandem propellers and two piston engines.
• Lippisch P.13a - Experimental ramjet-powered delta wing interceptor with an engine powered by coal.

• Lippisch P.13b - Further development of the P.13a.

Operational jet aircraft

• Messerschmitt Me 163
• Messerschmitt Me 262 - World's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft

• Heinkel He 162 - Second jet engined fighter aircraft to serve with the Luftwaffe.
• Arado Ar 234 - World's first jet-powered bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.
• Ar 234 "Blitz"
  • V-1  (Prototype)
  • B-2  (Bomber)
  • B-2N  (Night Fighter)
  • C-3  (4x BMW 003)
  • C-5  (Two Seat Cabin)
  • V-16  (Swept Wing / 2x BMW 003R)

Blohm & Voss

• Bv 211
• Bv 212

BMW

• Flugelrad V-1
• Flugelrad V-2
• Fw 44  (Oestrich Motorjet)

DFS

• 230 ( testbed / pulsejet )

Doblhoff

• WNF (V1-V4)

Dornier (DFS)

• Do 17 Z ( testbed / ramjet )
• Do 217 E ( testbed / ramjet )

Dornier / Heinkel

• Do 435/He 535

Fiesler

• Fi 103 A-1 "Reichenberg"
• Fi 103 V-1

Focke-Wulf

• Fw 190  (Fw-1 Turbojet)
• P.VII "Flitzer"
• Ta 183 "Huckeben"
• Fw 200 "Condor" (Fiesler Fi 103)

Heinkel

• He 111  (testbed /Heinkel He S 011)
• He 118  (testbed / Heinkel He S 3A)
• He 176
• He 178
• V-1
• V-2
• He 280
• V-3  (Heinkel He S 8A)
• V-4  (4x Argus As 014 "pulesjet")
• V-2  (Junkers Jumo 004)
• V-9  (BMW 003 A-1)
• He 162 "Volksjager"
• A-2  (BMW 003)
• A-8  (Junkers Jumo 004)
• A-10  (2x Argus As 014 "pulesjets")
• A-11  (1x Argus As 044 "pulesjet")
• Heinkel He219  (BMW 003)
• Heinkel He343
• Heinkel He P.1078A

Henschel

• Hs 130
• Hs 132

Gotha

• Go 145  (Argus VSR-9a pulse jet )
• Go P.60

Horten/Gotha

• Ho IX / Go 229
• V-1 (unpowered)
• V-2 / V-3
• V-6  (Trainer)

Horten

• Ho VII  (testbed / 1x Argus As 014 "pulesjets")
• Ho XIIIa
• Ho XVIII B2

Junkers

• Ju 88  (testbed / BMW 003 & Junkers 004)
• Ju EF 126
• Ju EF 128
• Ju 287
• V-1
• V-3 (A-1)
• EF 131

Lippisch

• P.11 "Delta VI"
• DM-1

Messerchmitt

• Me 110  (testbed / Junkers Jumo 004-A)
• Me 163 and Variants "Komet" (testbed / Argus As 014 pulsejet)
• Me 262 and Variants
• Me P.1073 (Me 328)
• Me P.1101

Skoda/Kauba

• P.14

Italy

Experimental and test jet aircraft

• Campini Caproni CC.2 - First experimental Italian thermojet.

• Reggiane Re.2007 - First Italian turbojet fighter design.

Jet aircraft projects

• Campini Caproni C.A.183bis - Piston-thermojet engined high-altitude interceptor

• Campini Caproni S.C.3 - Twin-jet high-altitude fighter/bomber
• Campini Caproni S.C.5/6 - Ramjet-powered autogiro
• Campini Caproni C.C.7 "Toscana" - Experimental thermojet bomber-recon plane

Caproni-Campin

• CC-2(N 1)
  

​
Reggiane

• Re 2007

Japan

Operational rocket aircraft

• Kuugisho/Yokosuka MXY7 - "Ohka" Model 11 Type 22 Suicide Attacker - entered service as a kamikaze aircraft or suicide missile

Experimental and test jet aircraft

• Nakajima J9Y - Kikka Turbojet Interceptor

• Kawanishi "Baika" - Mk.I,II,III (Fieseler Fi-103 R derivation) Pulsejet Suicide Attacker

• Kayaba "Katsudori" - Ramjet Interceptor
• Nakajima "Toka" - Turbojet Suicide Attacker

• Heinkel He 162 - A-2 (Tachikawa Ki-162?) Jet fighter Japanese version under license.

Cancelled before built
These were either cancelled projects or incomplete at end of war

• Kugisho/Yokosuka MXY-9 - "Shuka" Rocket Interceptor operative training glider with turbojet

• Nakajima Ki-201 - "Karyuu" turbojet interceptor/attack

• Kawanishi K-200 - Six engined heavy turbojet flying boat

• Yokosuka "Tenga" - Yokosuka P1Y/Ginga - "Frances" medium bomber converted to turbojet power, never completed

• Kugisho/Yokosuka R2Y2 - "Keiun-Kai" turbojet Reconnaissance/Attack Aircraft

• Mitsubishi J8M1 "Shusui" Rocket Intercepter
• Mitsubishi J8M2 "Shusui" Model 21 Rocket Intercepter
• Mitsubishi J8M3 "Shusui" Model 22 Rocket Intercepter
• Mitsubishi Ki-200"Shusui" Rocket Intercepter

• Rikugun Kokukosho/Mitsubishi Ki-202"Shusui-kai"Rocket Intercepter
• Kuugisho/Yokosuka MXY7"Ohka" Model 11 Suicide Attacker

• Mizuno "Shinryu" Type 1 Suicide Attack Rocket plane Glider
• Mizuno "Sinryu" Type 2 Rocket plane Intercepter
• Kyushu J7W2 "Shinden-kai" Turbojet Plane Intercepter

Kyushu

• J7W1 "Shinden"

Yokosuka

• P13Y "Ginga" (testbed Tsu-11)
• Ohka 22
• Ohka 43

Nakajima

• Kikka
• Kikka-K    (Trainer)
• Ki 201 "Karyu"

United kingdom

Experimental and test jet aircraft

• Gloster E.28/39 - May 15, 1941 became the first jet engined aircraft to fly in the United Kingdom.

Operational jet aircraft

• Gloster Meteor - First operational Allied fighter jet, entered Service July 27 1944.
• De Havilland Vampire - The second jet engined aircraft commissioned by the RAF during WW II. Production aircraft entered service in April 1945.

Armstrong Whitworth

• AW 52 E44/9

Avro

• Lancaster (testbed AWX / Nean / Beryl)

Hawker

• P.1040

De Havilland

• DH 100 "Vampire"
• Mk-I
• Mk-II
• "Sea Vampire" 10
• DH 108 "Swallow"

Gloster

• Gloster E28/39 "Whittle"
• F 9/40 "Meteor"
• Mk-I
• DG 204/G  (2x Vickers F2)
• Mk-II (2x H-1 Goblin)
• Mk-III
• Mk-IV
• F1 "Trent"  (2x RB 50 "turoprop")
• GA.1 / GA.2 "Ace"

Miles

• M.52
• M.3 "Falcon"

Saunders Roe

• SRA-1

Vickers

• Wellington  (Powerjet W.2/700)

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, never saw operational service, contract terminated after 66 built.
• Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star - first operational USAAF jet fighter in 1945, grounded due to problems until after the war.
• Ryan FR Fireball - mixed prop and jet aircraft for US Navy, first flew on June 25, 1944, but never saw combat. 66 delivered.

Bell
         XP 59 "Airacomet"

XP 83

Boeing

B-17 "Fortress" (Republic JB-2 "Loon")

B-29 "Super Fortress" (Republic JB-2 "Loon")

Chance Vought

F6U-1 "Pirate"

Consolidated

B-24 "Liberator" (Republic JB-2 "Loon" )

Coanda

Turbine Airoplane (1910)

Convair

XB 46

XP 81

Curtiss

XF 15 C-1

XF-87  "Blackhawk"

Mc Donnell

FH-1 "Phatom"

XF2D-1 "Banshee"

XF/XP-85 "Goblin"

Douglas

XB 42 "Mixmaster"

XB 43 "Jetmaster"

XBTD-2 "Destroyer"

D-558-1 "SkyStreak"

Grumman

XTBF-3 "Avenger"

XTB3F-1 "Guardian"

XF9F-2 "Panther"

Lockheed

L 133

XP 80 L-140

P 80A "Shooting Star"

Martin

P4M-1 "Mercator"

North American

P 51 "Mustang" (2x Ford PJ-31-1 pulesjets)

FJ-1 "Fury"

NA-140 (XP-86 "Sabre")

XB 45 "Tornado"

Northrop

JB-1/10 "Bat"

XP 79 B 

XB 35 B (XB 49)

P 61 "Black Widow" (NACA ramjet)

Repubilc

XP 84  "Thunder Jet"

JB-2  "Loon"

Ryan

FR-1  "Fireball"

XF2 R-1   "Darkshark"

USSR

Experimental jet aircraft

• Lavochkin La-150 - Design started in summer of 1945. First flight, September 1946. Built around the Jumo 004 (RD-10) engine. 5 built.
• Lavochkin La-152 - First flight, October 1946. Modifications of the 150 design. 3 built with various modifications.
• Sukhoi Su-5 - Combined propeller/thermojet propulsion. 1 built, first flown 6 April 1945. Grounded after loss of piston engine.

Operational jet aircraft

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 - First flew April 24, 1946. First true Russian turbojet.
• Yakovlev Yak-15 - First flew April 24, 1946. Used Yak-3 fuselage and cockpit, mostly used as an introduction for pilots and ground-crew to jet aircraft.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 - mixed power fighter using a thermojet and standard prop engine. 10-20 estimated built. Supplanted by pure jet aircraft.

Bereznyak/Isaiev

1. BI-6

Borovkov/Florov

1. I-207 "8" ( 2x DM-4 "ramjet" )

1. Izdeliyed "D"

Gudkov

1. Gu-VDR

Lavochkin

1. La 3  ( 2x VDR-430 "ramjet" )

1. La 7S (2x RD-13 "pulesjet" / 2x VDR-430 "ramjet")

1. La 126  ( 2x RD-13 "pulesjet" )

1. La 138  ( 2x VDR-430 "ramjet" )

1. La 150

Mikoyan Gurevich

1. Mig 13   (I-250 N)

1. Mig 9   (I-300)

1. Mig 15   (I-310)

Petlyakov

1. Pe-2L

Polikarpov

1. I-152DM (2x DM-2 "ramjet")

1. I-153DM  (2x DM-4 "ramjet")

Sukhoi

1. Shukoi Su-5

1. Su 9

MK Tikhonravov

1. 302

Tupolev

1. Tu-2 L

Yakovlev

1. Jak-7 PVRD  (2x DM-4C "ramjet")

1. Jak 7R

1. Jak 15

---

Leduc

010

Sud-Quest

• So 6000 "Triton"
  

SAAB

J-21 R

J-29  "Tumman"
201-202  91A "Safir

Varga

RMI-1 X /H

Avia

S-92.1 (PL-01)

 Rocket Aircraft

• Arado E.381 Kleinstjäger Air launch Fighter 1944Project0 Carried by an Arado Ar 234
• Bachem Ba 349 "Natter" Germany VTOL Fighter 1945 Production Point defence interceptor. Never saw action.
• Bell X-1 USA Air launch Research 1947 Prototype First aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight (Also conventional take off on one occasion).
• Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 USSR CTOL Fighter 1942
• Cattaneo Magni RR Italy CTOL Research 1931 Prototype
• Cheranovsky RP-1 USSR CTOL Research 1932 Prototype Test in 1933 ended in engine failure.
• DFS 194 Germany CTOL Experimental 1940 Operational Tailless.
• Focke-Wulf  Volksjäger Germany CTOL Fighter 1944 Project Three rocket-powered variants under construction at the end of hostilities.
• Heinkel He 112R Germany Experimental 1937 Operational Rocket and piston engines.
• Heinkel He 176 Germany CTOL Research 1939 Prototype
• He P.1077 Julia Germany CTOL Fighter 1944 Project
• Ju EF.127 WalliGermanyCTOLFighter1944Project
• Korolyov RP-318 USSR CTOL Research 1940
• Lavochkin La-7R USSR 1945 Rocket and piston engines.
• Lippisch Ente Germany CTOL Research 1928 Prototype first rocket-powered aircraft
• Messerschmitt Me 163 Germany CTOL Fighter 1941 ProductionTailless.
• Messerschmitt Me 263 Germany CTOL Fighter 1944 also known as Ju 248, development of Me 163.
• Messerschmitt P.1104 GermanyAir launch Fighter1944 Project
• Mitsubishi J8M Japan CTOL Fighter 1945 Was to have been a licensed Messerschmitt Me 163 but the plans were lost so was only similar.
• Mizuno Shinryu II Japan CTOL 1945 Project Second aircraft developed in Japan to use a canard design after the J7W1.
• North American X-15 USA Air launch Research 1959 Operational Hypersonic. Later variants capable of sub-orbital space flight.
• Northrop XP-79 USA CTOL Fighter1944 Prototype Flying wing. Converted to jet power for first and only flight.
• Opel RAK.1 Germany CTOL Research 1929 Operational First rocket-powered aircraft.
• Rikugun Ki-202 Japan CTOL Fighter 1945 Improved J8M/Ki-200 with the elongated fuselage.
• Sombold So 344 Germany Air launch 1944 Project bomber box buster with a detachable explosive nose.
• Sukhoi Su-7 USSR 1944 Sukhoi Su-6 with rocket and piston engines.
• Yakovlev Yak-3RD USSR 1945 Prototype Modified Yakovlev Yak-3 with rocket and piston engines.
• Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka Japan Air launch Attack 1945 Production Kamikaze aircraft.
• Zeppelin Fliegende Panzerfaust Germany Air launch 1944 Project towed behind a Messerschmitt Me 109G
• Zeppelin Rammer Germany Air launch Fighter 1944 Project designed to use the aerial ramming technique against Allied bombers