Messerchmitt Me 163 Komet  

Messerchmitt Me 163 Komet

The Komet was produced with only a few more than 300 copies and its sole purpose was to intercept the allied bombers, as quickly as possible before they could cause any damage.  This aircraft was nothing more than that of a glider that used its propulsion solely for its takeoff and its rise in altitude. The project of the Me 163 was born in 1938 when the Germans began studying the application of the new secret rocket engine, that had been developed. The first of 76 prototypes flew without an engine (drawn and set free by a Bf 110) in the beginning of 1941. August 13, 1941 was the first flight with the engine and on October 2 the speed of Mach 0.84 was reached. These dates only mark the crucial stages of the program, the rest of the time served to the development of the cell and the engine in order to transform the experimental plane Me 163 into a fighter able to do some real operations. The training of pilots was complicated and also tragic with a very high crash rate due the fighters very limited powered endurance and the tendency of its liquid-fuelled rocket engine to explode in the course of a heavy landing. Two guns were set into the wings and the fuselage seated the pilot, the engine and a part of the fuel. At takeoff, the plane used a detachable trolley and to land used an extending skid. Many problems remained to be solved. Because of its excessive speed compared to the bombers, the approach was delicate. Furthermore it was very difficult to adjust the power of the engine which could only be stopped and then restarted. The war ended before problems were solved.

 Specifications

Full Name

Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet

Type

Point Interceptor Fighter

Origin

Germany

Manufacturer

Messerschmitt

Wingspan

9.33 m

Length

5.85 m

Height

2.76 m

Weight

Empty: 1908 kg

Maximum Speed

955 km/h

Range

35.5 km

Engine

1 x Walter HWK 109-509A-1/2 liquid propellant rocket

Armament

2 x 30mm or 20mm cannon

Crew

1

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