The Military Aviation Museum of Virginia Beach, VA restored their Messerschmitt Me-262 replica back to flying condition. One of five faithful reproduction aircraft constructed using a US Navy Me-262 war prize (Me 262 B-1a W.Nr. 110639) as a pattern. Pictured on it's first solo display at AirVenture 2025, the aircraft lost the fuel cap on the auxiliary tank and streamed fuel on two passes before landing.

A champion, the award for AirVenture's best jet went to the Military Aviation Museum's replica Messerschmitt Me 262 (N262MF). The fighter is a so-called interchangeable one/two-seat Me 262A/B-1c finished as WerkNr. 501243. It was built as one of five replica Me-262s by Herb Tischler/ Texas Aircraft Factory, Fort Worth (TX) making its first flight on 22 July 2011. It remained inactive for a long period and was only flown again for the first time in a decade on 28 March this year.

One of the last to be completed, this Me 262 'Yellow 5' was surrendered to Allied forces at Munich-Riem in May 1945 and ferried on to Lechfeld by a Luftwaffe pilot. Flown on to Cherbourg via St Dizier and Melun, it was shipped as "Watsons Wizzers 111/Screamin' Meemie" to the US aboard HMS Reaper with 40 other captured aircraft. Barged to NAS Patuxent River and allocated BuNo 121442 for ten hours of flight tests in January 1946, these were curtailed after three engine failures. Abandoned in 1952, it was moved to the nascent USAF Museum in 1957. Restoration was accomplished from 1976 to 1979

This unique two-seat trainer captured at Lechfeld was operated by Watson's Whizzers as '555/Willie' till flown to Cherbourg, the nose gear collapsing on landing. A replacement nose cone was fitted and it was shipped to the US in July 1945. Sent to Patuxent River for flight tests as BuNo 121448, it was then given to the Naval Aviation Museum, going on show at Willow Grove, PA from 1946 till 1993 when loaned for use as a pattern for the production of flying replicas. Static restoration in its 1944 marks was completed at Everett in 2000 and it returned to Willow Grove till 2007 when moved to NMNA

On display at RAF Museum Hendon. This aircraft was built at Leipheim. It was test flown at Memmingen on 23 Mar 1945 by Uffz. Sepp Gerstmayr, then delivered to JG7 "Nowotny." Captured at Schleswig by British forces, it was flown to Holland and Farnborough in June 1945. The jet was given the RAF serial VK893 and flown regularly till 29 Nov 1945. It is painted as 'Yellow 4' of I./JG7 and wears the wing's blue-red Reichsverteidigung band on the fuselage.

On display in a tight space at NASM, Washington, D.C. 'Yellow 7' with a blue-red Reichsverteidigung band was flown by 49-victory ace Obfw Heinz Arnold who was wingman to Maj Rudolf Sinner of III./JG7. The wing was named "Nowotny" in honor of 258-victory ace Maj Walter Nowotny who headed Kdo Nowotny, the first jet fighter unit till he was shot down. JG 7 was equipped with the Me-262 from Dec 1944 till its surrender in May 1945, scoring victories till the end. After its capture at Lechfeld in 1945, this Me-262 was shipped under Op Lusty to the USA where it was numbered FE-111 for evaluation.

Former Czechoslovak AF V-35, now painted to represent a Luftwaffe Me 262, this two-seater was a hybrid constructed by Avia from abandoned 262 airframes after WW2. It served the Czech AF as V-35 for research purposes, then being transferred to a fighter squadron in 1950.

This S-92 was commissioned in July 1948 and flew at first with the Aviation Research Institute (LVÚ) and then with the 5. stíhací letka (5th Fighter Flight). The aircraft was decommissioned sometime in 1951 and transferred to the National Technical Museum. It was handed over to the Letecké Muzeum Kbely in 1979.

The highlight of the show for me. I wasn't very enthusiastic about it being flown together with a Sabre and a MiG-15, but the formation performed a beautiful topside pass!

One of five replica Me.262s built in the USA. Registered as N262MS in 2001 then D-IMTT in 2006.

Original kodachrome slide obtained from auction. Aircraft is an original A-1a version (interceptor) and captured by the British troops at Fassberg on May 29th, 1945. It was operated by 2./JG7 as "Gelbe 7". The picture was taken at Gaydon in 1966 when it had already received a fantasy camouflage pattern but with JG7 badges.

Have photographed this beautiful aircraft at SXF Berlin Schönefeld Airport at ILA airshows. A welcome first UK airshow visit.

Two first generation jet fighters parked next to each other for the first time in many years: Me-262 Replica D-IMTT and Meteor WA638 (G-JWMA).