Messerschmitt Me 163
The Messerschmitt Me 163 is a German military aircraft used during World War II. It was a rocket-powered aircraft. It was designed by Lippisch.[1]
| Messerschmitt Me 163 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Messerschmitt |
| First flight | 1941 |
| Introduction | 1945 |
| Retired | 1945 (Luftwaffe) |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 370 |
The plane weighed 4200 pounds when it was empty and almost 10,000 pounds when it was full. It could fly 560 miles per hour. During the last part of World War II, Messerchmitts fought B-17 bombers over Germany. About 18 B-17s were shot down and about 10 Messerschmitts were shot down.[1]
The fuel the Messerschmitts used sometimes exploded.[1]
Additional references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Plane Facts: Rocket Planes. Plane and Pilot Magazine. February 25, 2020. https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/rocket-planes/. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- Mondey, David (1996). Axis Aircraft of World War II. Chancellor Press, London. ISBN 1851529667.
Messerschmitt Me 163 Media
Replica of Opel RAK's Lippisch Ente in Deutsches Segelflugmuseum as the world's first rocket-powered glider
Me163 Variants
A Me 163's HWK 109-509A engine
Position of the Walter HWK 109-509A-1 rocket motor
The Me 163A V4 (first prototype) in 1941
Me 163B's unsprung jettisonable main gear "dolly" unit
Use of the "Scheuch-Schlepper" before an Me 163B's flight (above) and after (below)
Me 163 B-1a at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune, Scotland
Landing skid of a Messerschmitt Me 163B shown extended for takeoff, with the take-off dolly attached.
A preserved HWK 109-509B "cruiser" twin-chamber rocket motor (National Museum of the United States Air Force)
