Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a, WNr. 500200, "Weisse 3"
History
This aircraft was constructed in March 1945 at the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg, Germany, during the final months of the war. It was a member of the same production batch as the Deutsches Museum's "White 3" . The Me 262A-2a variant was a jet bomber version of the Me 262, equipped with a pressurized cockpit and intended for high-speed ground attack missions.
"Black X" was assigned to 2 Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 51 (KG 51), a Luftwaffe bomber unit. The aircraft was flown by Fahnenjunker Oberfeldwebel Fröhlich and participated in combat operations during the war's final stages.
In May 1945, as Germany faced defeat, "Black X" was flown to Fassberg Airfield, which was under Allied control, and surrendered to the British. In late August 1945, the aircraft was flown to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough, United Kingdom, for evaluation. During its time in British hands, the Luftwaffe camouflage was over-painted with English markings and RAF roundels. The aircraft was allocated the RAF serial number VP554 and designated as "Air Min 81" for Ministry of Aircraft Production records. The original German electronics were removed and replaced with British equipment, though the airframe and flight systems remained largely unchanged .
In 1946, "Black X" was shipped to Australia and was displayed at the Australian War Memorial from 1955 to 1970. It was then loaned to the Royal Australian Air Force Museum at Point Cook from 1970 to 1981. A minor restoration was carried out by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1982, and the aircraft returned to the Australian War Memorial Annexe in 1988, where it has been on display since 2003 .