This week’s Movie Monday is an pretty amazing find. Buried deep on Google Video I found a Luftwaffe training video from 1944 of the Messerschmitt Me-262 – the world’s first jet powered aircraft. According to the description on the video:
The original audio is long since gone. However, the replaced narration
is that of Franz Steigler, who flew the plane and watched the film
during the war.
The film, which is 46 minutes, is an extraordinary piece of primary source material for understanding the revolutionary leap in technology that occurred at the end of World War II. I watched it transfixed on the amazing history found in this video. What unfolds below is really a demonstration of the fragility of the first jet fighter and its clear tendency to overheat.
As you watch the film, I would recommend putting it in direct contrast to the P-51 Mustang training video from 1942 that was posted here several weeks ago. The cultural similarities and differences in training pilots makes for an amazing piece of history. In addition, last week’s movie, Dogfights of the Tuskegee Airmen, tells the story of the squadron’s battle against these aircraft. This might just be one of the best Movie Mondays yet. Enjoy!
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.