First flight by a jet-engined aircraft

According to Official Guinness Records,

The first flight by an aeroplane powered by a turbojet engine was made by the Heinkel He 178, piloted by Flugkapitän Erich Warsitz, at Marienehe, Germany on 27 August 1939. It was powered by a Heinkel He S3b engine weighing 378 kg (834 lb) designed by Dr Hans Pabst von Ohain. Despite the success of the He 178 it was not until the dying days of WWII, in 1944, that the jet-propelled Messerschmidt Me 262 entered service as Germany's first active jet fighter. Although the British-built Gloster Meteor entered service some months before its German rival, it was a much less capable aircraft.

For a complete list of 1939 records, please visit 1939 Guinness Records in Germany.

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