Next ?

Considering another plane model to draw it could be an idea to select it from a series of very first jet-fighters (I think they all were at the end ofWW2), I let internet do the selection.
Amazed about so many models my second filter was the nationality of the Alies and their opponents.

After having slept on this issue the idea came up to approach possible interested parties by means of a poll on my website.

After the first ten reactions to my shame I noted to have overlooked our British ally in the row of candidates. 

Believe it or not but if they had asked me "what was the very first jet plane on Earth I'd straight forward replied 'the Gloster Whittle'...

Adding the model ? Too late...

The only way to deal with this blunder is to draw one of U.K.'s jets hereafter.

Anyhow, this very moment a few more than 30 people voted and it appears that the McDonnell FD (FH-1) is going to win the race so I could not stand some exploration.

And again, also on the Phantom there was a discrepancy.

Fortunately only one site (Wikipedia of all...) is giving a deviating span.

Taking one of quite an available series of 3Views it it is possible to check the length/span proportions.

Scaling the 3view up to an assumed correctly drawn length (in this case the portside-view at the bottom = the italic 1135) the comparison with the rest of the view learns that

• the length of the starboard view differs 0.7 units so the drawing is ok;
• spans 1235, 1230 (2x615) and 1235.8 (2x617.9) are 7 units out compared with the Internet-specs above. The wing lengths are wrong. 

Apparently the hobbyist-draftsman/woman had the decimal value of the length fixed in mind and, as we all know, very often one seems to be blind for one and the same slip; does not matter whether it's a letter or a figure.

Onno Braam claims to have applied the correct measurements but inserting the jpg into DraftSight shows an averaged span of 1183.4 instead of 1242... 

Fortunately a third 3view was correct. 

The moment our poll had reached a 40 votes we'll see whether all the foregoing has not been premature stuff.

In order to push the poll a link was placed on Facebook's Paper Modelers page
but since it's not easy to sit and wait for it we could very well anticipate the promise made to our British neighbours ;-) and carry out a second surf on their WW2 jets.

The results were not very extensive. Wikipedia e.g. only mention the Gloster Meteor  - the one mentioned on WW2 Aircraft ('39-'45) - and the E28/39, known as the Whittle, the Pioneer, or the G.40.
This implies that, because the Meteor has already been drawn, the Whittle indeed is the one that I had in mind as the very first jet plane.

According to Wikipedia its 1st flight was the 15th of May '41 whereas the same list shows September '40 as the month of birth of both the German Heinkel He280 and the Russian Polikarpov I-153DM.

Clear enough, let's have a look at the Whittle 3View-harvest 

not bad, 8 pieces

Apparently the Phantom is going to win the poll so let's sit down and monitor.

And then, all of a sudden,  the 40 was passed before level 40 could be checked.

Undecided unfortunately thus wait for the 'sudden death' of one of both.

On further consideration it seemed a better idea to increase the limit to 50 in particular after having noticed an increased amount of votes (Facebook?).

It has become difficult to beleive that the initial 3view comparison has been a benificial job.

Two steps after having changed the '40 votes' in '50 votes' the picture above was on screen and the site was changed in a rush as well.

The Messerschmitt Me262 'Schwalbe' has become an undisputable winner and 

is worth to be honored ;-) with a new blog.