Heinkel He-178 aircraft, the first jet plane. It was designed by the German Heinkel company in the late 1930s and made its first major flight on 27th August 1939. It was demonstrated to the Reich Aviation Ministry on 1st November that year. Although the He-178 was only a prototype, the work led to the design of the first jet fighter, the He-280. This was beset by problems, however, and the Messerschmitt Me-262 was adopted by the Nazis as the first mass-production jet fighter.