The Germans began World War II with what was then the world’s best fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 109. But a superior fighter emerged as early as the Battle of Britain: the British Supermarine Spitfire. She played a key role in the fact that the Germans could not conquer England.
A new type of aircraft was to ensure air supremacy again: the Me 262 jet fighter. However, interventions by Hitler meant that the German lead melted away. When the Me 262 flew its combat missions, the Western Allies were already in the process of building their own jets or were about to do so. Only the Soviets lagged behind in the race. In any case, their Luftwaffe was not really taken seriously by the West.
A mistake. This was demonstrated when the western pilots encountered the MIG-15 and its Soviet pilots over Korea. This MIG put an abrupt end to the era of the first fighter jets.
Civil aviation followed surprisingly quickly. The four-engine British de Havilland DH.106 Comet was the first mass-produced jet airliner in the world. The first maiden flight took place on July 27, 1949.