Meteor vs Me 262 | Which was the better WW2 jet?

As World War II reached its final years, jet fighters took to the skies for the first time in history. Two pioneering aircraft led this revolution: Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262 and Britain’s Gloster Meteor. Though they never met in combat, both were fielded as operational fighters before the war’s end—ushering in the jet age with dramatically different philosophies.

In this detailed documentary, we compare these two iconic aircraft across every dimension: design origins, engine performance, flight characteristics, combat history, and post-war impact. The Me 262 dazzled with unmatched speed and firepower, while the Meteor impressed with rugged reliability and practical serviceability. From the politics that delayed the 262’s deployment to the Meteor’s steady postwar evolution, we explore how each machine performed not just in theory, but in the unforgiving conditions of wartime and beyond.

Which jet had the tactical edge? Which design proved more sustainable? And what might have happened had these aircraft clashed in combat? We break down all the critical comparisons—including speed, manoeuvrability, armament, engine reliability, and operational use—to determine which of these first-generation jet fighters truly earned the title of “best of the war.”

Related Videos:
The Gloster Meteor in Australian Service    • The Gloster Meteor in Australian Service  
77 Squadron in Korea | Part 2 | Enter the Meteors    • 77 Squadron in Korea | Part 2 | Enter the ...  
Me 262: Strange & Deadly Variants    • ME 262: Strange & Deadly variants  

CONTENTS
00:00 Intro
01:00 History of the First Combat Jets
05:37 Meteor’s Advantages over the Me 262
11:23 Me 262’s Advantages over the Meteor
18:44 Head-to-Head Comparison
21:18 Final Analysis
24:24 Conclusion

CORRECTION
17:32 We mistakenly stated that early Meteors had tailwheel (taildragger) landing gear, but it was the early Me 262 prototypes that initially used a tailwheel configuration, which was later replaced with a tricycle setup and standardized in production models.

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Some original footage and recreated scenes (using simulators like DCS and War Thunder) may not be 100% accurate to the events depicted. They have been used for illustrative and dramatic purposes where archival footage was unavailable or restricted by copyright. We aim to remain as historically accurate as possible given the available resources.

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