Originally posted by Kratzer Heinkel He 280 V1 - I believe this photo may be of its first flight under its own power, on 2 April, 1941.
This plane was the first turbojet powered fighter in history to make it'self airborne. It clawed it's way into the air on 30 March 1941, nearly six weeks before the British Gloster E.28/39. The He 280 undertook it's maiden flight successfully with no engine cowlings to minimise a fire hazard which had shown up in ground tests. The engines used were two Heinkel-Hirth HeS 8 turbojets.