Origin: Nazi Germany
Year: 1945
Type: Fighter
Weight: 1,660 kg (3,660 lb) empty
Height: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
Length: 9.05 m (29 ft 8 in)
Max speed: 790 km/h (491 mph) at sea level
Ceiling: 12,000 m (39,400 ft)
Engine: 1 × BMW 003E-1 or E-2 axial flow turbojet
Range: 975 km (606 mi)
Armament: 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 autocannons with 120 rpg (He 162 A-2) OR 2 × 30 mm MK 108 cannons with 50 rpg (He 162 A-0, A-1)
Crew: 1

Developed out of a need to produce a high-performance jet fighter while using non-strategic materials, the Heinkel He 162 Salamander was on of the final aircraft designs field by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Also known as the Volksjäger ("People's Fighter") and Spatz (sparrow), the Salamander was of primarily wooden construction which contributed to its light weight and fast speed. The He 162 saw it combat debut mid-April 1945 when one reportedly down a Royal Air Force fighter; however, the Heinkel and its pilot were subsequently lost when the aircraft was shot down by Allied fighters while landing. The He 162's service was brief with all samples which had been deployed be captured by the Allies or destroyed by retreating German forces to prevent their capture. By the end of the war only ~120 He 162 fighters had been deliver with a further ~200 ready for delivery and ~600 more in various stages of construction.

Though the aircraft was intended to be simple enough to be flown by members of the Hitler Youth and to manufactured at a rate of ~4,000 per month, the He 162 fell well short of its goal. Better trained pilots were required to pilot the aircraft and fewer than 1,000 were manufactured during the entirety of 1945. However, the aircraft was described by Allied test pilots after the war as being a stable gun platform and possessing great potential as a fighter if the design had been allowed to develop further.