July 18

Leipheim Air Base, Bavaria, Germany · July 18, 1942 In mid-April 1941 test flights began of what would become the world’s first opera­tional turbo­jet fighter, the Messer­schmitt 262 Schwalbe, or “Swal­low.” The test was really of the air­frame, because the BMW turbo­jets—primi­tive and tem­pera­mental—were no­where close to being ready for fitting. On this date, July 18,…