ME 262 Schwalbe

The Me 262 Schwalbe or "Swallow" is a good case study in the "what if" category centering around poor production design and the bureaucracy inherent in a dictatorship like that of the Third Reich.
With the unrealized capabilities of this most advanced aircraft, the German Luftwaffe allowed the Me 262 to fall into the category of unrealized potential. Such could have been the impact of becoming the world's first fighter powered by turbojet technology. It would, however, go on to hold the distinction of becoming the world's first jet-powered aircraft, though not necessarily the first operational fighter (that award would eventually be given to the British Gloster Meteor which beat out the Me 262 to operational service by a matter of weeks, if not days).

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