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Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger

Germany · WWII (1939–1945)

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The Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger ("People's Fighter") record covers the same aircraft as `wt_heinkel_he_162` — see that record for the comprehensive Heinkel He 162 history. This separate stub exists due to a Wikipedia title spelling variant ("Volksjäger" suffix), which the dedupe pass did not merge.

The He 162 was widely known as the Volksjäger ("People's Fighter") referring to the Reich Air Ministry's design philosophy: an emergency-fighter to be flown by inexperienced Hitler Youth pilots after only minimal training. The Volksjäger name reflects the program's desperate end-of-war character. Other contemporary names included the "Salamander" (referencing legendary fire-resistance, ironic for a wooden aircraft) and "Spatz" ("Sparrow", referencing its small size).

See the primary He 162 record for the full programme history including the 90-day design schedule, BMW 003E-1 turbojet engine details, JG 1 in-service service April-May 1945, and the type's ~9 surviving airframes worldwide.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Heinkel He 162 was a jet fighter plane from World War Two. It was built by Germany near the very end of the war. It had a special nickname: the Volksjäger, which means "People's Fighter" in German.

Germany needed new fighter planes fast. So engineers designed this jet in just 90 days. That is an amazingly short time to build a brand-new aircraft.

The He 162 was smaller than most fighter planes of its time. It was sometimes called the "Spatz," which means "Sparrow." That name fits because it was small and quick, like a little bird.

It also had another nickname: "Salamander." A salamander is a creature from old legends said to survive fire. This was an ironic name because the plane was partly made of wood, which can burn easily.

Today, only about nine of these planes survive in the whole world. You can find them in museums. They are rare reminders of a desperate time in history.

Fun Facts

The He 162 was designed and built in just 90 days — super fast for a brand-new jet plane!
Its nickname "Volksjäger" means "People's Fighter" in German.
The plane was also called "Spatz," which means "Sparrow" — smaller than most fighter jets of its era.
It was powered by a BMW turbojet engine mounted right on top of its body.
The He 162 was partly made of wood, which made its "Salamander" fire-resistance nickname very ironic.
Only about nine of these jets still exist anywhere in the world today.
It flew in active service for just a few weeks, in April and May of 1945.

Kids’ Questions

Why was it called the 'People's Fighter'?

Germany wanted a simple jet that even young, new pilots could fly with very little training. The name "People's Fighter" showed it was meant for everyone, not just expert pilots. It was built quickly because the war was almost over.

Why was it nicknamed 'Sparrow'?

The He 162 was smaller than most fighter planes of its time. Its small size reminded people of a little sparrow bird. That is how it earned the nickname "Spatz," which is German for "Sparrow."

Can I see a real He 162 today?

Yes! About nine of these rare jets survive around the world. You can find them in air and space museums. They are very special because so few are left.

Variants

(See main He 162 record): Comprehensive variant history in the primary Heinkel He 162 record.

Notable Operators

Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 1 (April-May 1945): (See main He 162 record)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there a separate Volksjäger record?

The dataset originally had two records for the same aircraft — one as "Heinkel He 162" and one as "Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger". They were not merged during the May 2026 dedupe pass because their Wikipedia title designations differed (the Volksjäger suffix). The two records cover the same in-service history; this Volksjäger-specific record exists for completeness.

What does Volksjäger mean?

German for "People's Fighter" — referencing the Reich Air Ministry's late-1944 design philosophy of producing a fighter aircraft that could be mass-produced cheaply + flown by inexperienced Hitler Youth pilots after minimal training. The name reflects the program's desperate emergency-defence character. The aircraft was envisaged as the personal weapon of the German Volk fighting back against Allied bombing — a propaganda-laden concept that didn't match in-service reality.

Sources

Wikipedia — Heinkel He 162