The Me 262 was the first of its kind, the first jet-powered aircraft. Although conceived before the war, with the initial plans being drawn in April 1939, the Stormbird was beset with technological (particularly the revolutionary engines) and political difficulties, resulting in it not entering combat until August 1944, with claims of nineteen downed Allied aircraft. The performance of the Me 262 so far exceeded that of Allied aircraft that on 1 Sepember 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz remarked that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive. The story of how the Stormbird came to be is fascinating history, and it comes to life in the hands of noted historian Colin Heaton. Told largely in the words of the German aces who flew it, The Me 262 Stormbird provides the complete history of this remarkable airplane from the drawing boards to combat in the skies over the Third Reich. Features two forewords, one by Jorg Czypionka, Me 262 night fighter pilot, and another by historian and author Barrett Tillman.

The Me 262 was the first of its kind, the first jet-powered aircraft. Although conceived before the war, with the initial plans being drawn in April 1939, the Stormbird was beset with technological (particularly the revolutionary engines) and political difficulties, resulting in it not entering combat until August 1944, with claims of nineteen downed Allied aircraft. The performance of the Me 262 so far exceeded that of Allied aircraft that on 1 Sepember 1944, USAAF General Carl Spaatz remarked that if greater numbers of German jets appeared, they could inflict losses heavy enough to force cancellation of the Allied daylight bombing offensive. The story of how the Stormbird came to be is fascinating history, and it comes to life in the hands of noted historian Colin Heaton. Told largely in the words of the German aces who flew it, The Me 262 Stormbird provides the complete history of this remarkable airplane from the drawing boards to combat in the skies over the Third Reich. Features two forewords, one by Jorg Czypionka, Me 262 night fighter pilot, and another by historian and author Barrett Tillman.

By the time of its introduction into front-line service in July 1944 many Germans thought the ME 262 was capable of turning the tide of the Second World War. Accelerating to speeds well over 500mph, it was faster than any Allied fighter operating in the European theatre. Officially designated as the Schwalbe, or Swallow, its pilots soon renamed the ME 262 as the Sturmvogel. While the war was still going Hitler's way, the ME 262 was not considered a high-priority project by German High Command, until May 1943 when the celebrated Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland flew the ME 262 and was so impressed by its performance that he advocated immediate mass production. Several types of the ME 262 were deployed--fighter bomber, interceptor, and an unarmed reconnaissance version--but although over 1,400 ME 262s were constructed, less than 300 saw combat. Even so, the Stormbird signaled the beginning of the end for piston-engined combat aircraft, and with the fall of the Third Reich the Allies were quick to seize the surviving ME 262s and their design directly influenced the development of jet fighters after the war.

Bomber pilots who become fighter pilots are rare, but Hermann Buchner was one. The author, a Luftwaffe NCO pilot and Knight's Cross holder gives a riveting account of his training with the pre-war Austrian air force, instructing with the Luftwaffe then the terrifying ground attack operations on the Eastern Front trying to stop the Russian juggernaut. Despite being shot down twice, Buchner himself targeted Il 2s, Yak 9s and Boston bombers who fell victims to his eagle eye. Later tasked with opposing the Allied daylight bombing raids into the heart of Germany, Buchner laboured to protect his homeland. Serving alongside many well-known aces and sometimes taking off from his home airfield while under Soviet shellfire, he paints a picture of a man surviving against incredible odds, who became one of the elite with JG7 and learnt that the important thing with the Me 262 was to land near a convenient foxhole. Illustrated with many photographs, mostly from the author's personal collection together with colour profiles of his aircraft and opponents, Stormbird presents a remarkable insight into the life of a Luftwaffe pilot in WWII.