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Messerschmitt 163B

The Messerschmitt 163 Komet was the most unusual fighter aircraft of WW2. Designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch, its origins date back to the DFS 194 of 1938, a tailless glider which was used by the German Research Institute for sailplanes as a testbed for rocket motors. The program was transferred to Messerschmitt and the DFS 194 first flew under rocket power in 1940. A high speed development, the Me163A was soon achieving the unheard of speed of 624 mph.

The operational version designated Me163B was powered by the HWK 509 engine using the unpleasant combination of T-stoff, (hydrogen peroxide and water) and C-Stoff, (hydrazine hydrate and methanol) as the fuel. The Me163B took off using a disposable take off dolly and landed power-off on its retractable skid. The first flight of the Me163B was on 23rd June 1943.

Despite it's remarkable speed and climb performance, the Komet was a total failure as a war machine. The slow firing 30mm cannon were totally unsuitable as weapons, and the the crews suffered a 95% casualty rate due to fires in the air or explosions when landing due to residual fuel mixing explosively when the Komet bumped down onto it's skid.

Maximum level speed: 593 mph at 29,000 ft
Weight: 9,502 lb all up.
Powerplant: One 3750 lb thrust Walter HWK 509 liquid fuel rocket motor.
Armament: two 30 mm cannon in the wing roots.