Editing Messerschmitt Me 262 (section)

===Postwar history===
[[File:Me262ila2006.JPG|thumb|Reproduction of a Me 262 (A-1c) at the [[Berlin Air Show]] 2006]]

After the end of the war, the Me 262 and other advanced German technologies were quickly swept up by the Soviets, British and Americans, as part of the USAAF's [[Operation Lusty]]. Many Me 262s were found in readily repairable condition and were confiscated. The Soviets, British and Americans wished to evaluate the technology, particularly the engines.{{sfn|Bauduin|2014|pp=1–14}}

During testing, the Me 262 was found to be faster than the British [[Gloster Meteor]] jet fighter, and had better visibility to the sides and rear (mostly due to the canopy frames and the discoloration caused by the plastics used in the Meteor's construction), and was a superior gun platform to the Meteor F.1 which had a tendency to snake at high speed and exhibited "weak" aileron response.{{sfn|Ethell|Price|1994|pp=97–99}} The Me 262 had a shorter range than the Meteor and had less reliable engines.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Eric Melrose |title=Wings of the Luftwaffe |date=2010 |publisher=Hikoki |isbn=978-1-902109-15-2 |location=Ottringham |oclc=660567188}}</ref>

Captain Eric Brown, a British test pilot who flew 487 types of aircraft during his service, flew a captured Me 262 (as well as other German Second World War jets) after the end of the war. He referred to the Me 262 as "the most formidable aircraft of WW2." He noted that it had a number of innovatory features, but in terms of performance, was a quantum jump ahead of other aircraft at the time. In particular he noted its swept back wings, its axial flow jet engine, and the four powerful 30mm cannons. He stated that it was significantly faster than the fastest Spitfire (at the time) and with that speed "you could conduct combat totally on your own terms. If you didn't want to engage, you could go off and leave everyone standing."<ref>{{Citation |title=The Pilot Who Flew 487 Different Aircraft & Landed 2,271 Times On A Carrier! Eric "Winkle" Brown | date=20 December 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSRAdZzRycc |language=en |access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref>

The USAAF compared the [[Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star]] and Me 262, concluding that the Me 262 was superior in acceleration and speed, with similar climb performance. The Me 262 appeared to have a higher [[critical Mach number]] than any American fighter.{{sfn|Ethell|Price|1994|p=180}}

The Americans also tested a Me 262A-1a/U3 unarmed photo reconnaissance version, which was fitted with a fighter nose and a smooth finish. Between May and August 1946, the aircraft completed eight flights, lasting four hours and forty minutes. Testing was discontinued after four engine changes were required during the course of the tests, culminating in two single-engine landings.{{sfn|Butler|1994|p={{Page needed|date=February 2013}}}} These aircraft were extensively studied, aiding development of early American, British and Soviet jet fighters.{{sfn|LePage|2009|p=246}}{{sfn|Dorr|2013|p=236}} The F-86, designed by [[Aerospace engineering|engineer]] [[Edgar Schmued]], used a [[Leading-edge slats|slat]] design based on the Me&nbsp;262's.{{sfn|Blair|1980|p={{Page needed|date=February 2013}}}}

[[File:Avia S-92 V-34 (Czechoslovak-made Messerschmitt Me 262A), Kbely museum, Prague, Czech Republic pic2.JPG|thumb|Avia S-92, Kbely Museum, Prague, 2012]]

The Czechoslovak aircraft industry continued to produce single-seat ('''Avia S-92''') and two-seat ('''Avia CS-92''') variants of the Me 262 after World War II. From August 1946, a total of nine S-92s and three two-seater CS-92s were completed and test flown. They were introduced in 1947 and in 1950 were supplied to the 5th Fighter Squadron, becoming the first jet fighters to serve in the [[Czechoslovak Air Force]]. These were kept flying until 1951,{{sfn|Balous|Rajlich|Velek|1995|p=53}} when they were replaced in service by Soviet jet fighters. Both versions are on display at the [[Prague]] [[Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely|Aviation museum in Kbely]].