Heinkel He 162

The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger (German, "People's Fighter") is a German single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. Developed under the Emergency Fighter Program, it was designed and built quickly and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft. Volksjäger was the Reich Air Ministry's official name for the government design program competition which was won by the He 162 design. Other names include Salamander, which was the codename of its wing-construction program, and Spatz ("Sparrow"), which was the name given to the aircraft by Heinkel.
The aircraft was notable for its small size. Although almost the same length as a Messerschmitt Bf 109, its wingspan of 7.2 m (24 ft)was much less than the 9.9 m (32 ft) of the Bf 109. It had a distinctive top-mounted engine which, combined with the aircraft's short landing gear, allowed the engine to be easily accessed for maintenance. This would have made bailing out without hitting the engine difficult, and the He 162 was the first single-engine aircraft provided with an ejection seat. The small size left little room for fuel, which, combined with the...