Mon. Apr. 19/10 Pace51
Real world facts about the Me163 Komet
Maiden Flight: June 23, 1943
Powered by: Walter 1700 Kg- thrust HWK 509A-1 rocket motor
Max. Speed: 960 KpH
Armament: Two 30mm cannon
As ww2 worsened for the Axis, the German inventions and designs became more innovative and radical. The Me163 is a perfect example of this. This aircraft was test-flown after the Me262, but was slightly newer. However, the Me163, although it looks like one, was not a jet. It was the world’s first rocket powered tailless glider, designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch.
The Komet worked like this. Using rocket power, it would fly at incredible speeds (for the time), even faster than the Me262. The early versions could only achieve powered flight for a total of seven and a half minutes, although later versions weren’t much better. The aircraft would use rocket power to reach its targets, and engage them. However, this meant that there was huge room for error. The aircraft had to attack from a close proximity to its target. If the aircraft was towed, it could glide towards it’s targets, and then fire up the engine and engage them, meaning that it had more than enough fuel to engage it’s target and return home. However, if the aircraft flew from a base, it would have to use its engine to propel itself into the air. The problem with this is the limited amount of fuel the engine used. The aircraft would have lost a large amount of fuel flying to its target. When engaging a target, the speed of the glider meant that you had as little as 3 seconds to attack your target, as the first squadron using this plane to attack US bombers discovered. However, that was because the rocket gliders flew at top speed towards Flying Fortresses, limiting the window for attack, and that was only the first pass. However, when you fly back to your base, you only have usually a few minutes of powered flight left, if you’re lucky. You have to glide the rest of the way, which led to risky landings. Partly because the lack of powered flight gives you only one try, because you can’t really pull out of a landing or correct without power. You get one try. Secondly, Me163’s couldn’t engage enemy aircraft when landing. They could only land, usually while being shot at.
Only 9 bombers were destroyed by this incredible aircraft, but it had some extraordinary new weaponry, the SG 500 Jagdfaust, (Fighter fist). This is how it worked. In the wing root’s, on either side of the fuselage, were 10 vertically firing tubes, 5 on each side of the wing. Each pointed straight up, and carried only on .50 calibre bullet. Ana photo-electric cell was mounted in the middle. This was a brilliant and devastating weapon. When the Me163 flew under a bombers shadow, the photo-electric cell noticed it. And when it noticed the shadow, all ten .50 bullets shot straight up… into the enemy bomber. It was successfully combat tested on a B-17, when a Komet destroyed it in mid-air.
In late 1943, Japan, more specifically Mitsubishi, was able to get manufacturing rights from the Germans for this aircraft. The navy got the J8M1, and the army got the Ki-200. However, one of the u-boats carrying the blueprints was sunk. The Japanese, incredibly, were able to produce prototypes from the incomplete blueprints before the war ended. One even flew before the war ended.
The Komet was futuristic in several ways. It was one of the first aircraft that used swept-wings, which were used in later fighters. It was rocket powered, and flew at incredible speeds. It was shaped like a combination of a bat and a dart, and was small and agile. The Komet used two hypergolic, or spontaneously combusting, liquids, T-Stoff and Z-Stoff. When they were combined, they reacted so violently the resulting explosion propelled it forward. It was flown at the secret test facility of Peenemunde in June 1940, by pilot Heini Dittmar. It had an awesome speed and a steep climb rate, and killer handling. One was towed to a height of 4000 meters before it was released. It fired its rocket engine and reached speeds of around 1003 KpH before it started to become unstable, which destroyed the world speed record at the time. However, the Komet’s were armed with cannons’, and only 60 rounds per cannon, and not particularly effective. They could have been, though, with more design improvements.
Me163 Komet. Discuss.
I'd upload images, but its not working for me temporarily.
Here are my sources:
Fighter Aircraft by Francis Crosby
Real world facts about the Me163 Komet
Maiden Flight: June 23, 1943
Powered by: Walter 1700 Kg- thrust HWK 509A-1 rocket motor
Max. Speed: 960 KpH
Armament: Two 30mm cannon
As ww2 worsened for the Axis, the German inventions and designs became more innovative and radical. The Me163 is a perfect example of this. This aircraft was test-flown after the Me262, but was slightly newer. However, the Me163, although it looks like one, was not a jet. It was the world’s first rocket powered tailless glider, designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch.
The Komet worked like this. Using rocket power, it would fly at incredible speeds (for the time), even faster than the Me262. The early versions could only achieve powered flight for a total of seven and a half minutes, although later versions weren’t much better. The aircraft would use rocket power to reach its targets, and engage them. However, this meant that there was huge room for error. The aircraft had to attack from a close proximity to its target. If the aircraft was towed, it could glide towards it’s targets, and then fire up the engine and engage them, meaning that it had more than enough fuel to engage it’s target and return home. However, if the aircraft flew from a base, it would have to use its engine to propel itself into the air. The problem with this is the limited amount of fuel the engine used. The aircraft would have lost a large amount of fuel flying to its target. When engaging a target, the speed of the glider meant that you had as little as 3 seconds to attack your target, as the first squadron using this plane to attack US bombers discovered. However, that was because the rocket gliders flew at top speed towards Flying Fortresses, limiting the window for attack, and that was only the first pass. However, when you fly back to your base, you only have usually a few minutes of powered flight left, if you’re lucky. You have to glide the rest of the way, which led to risky landings. Partly because the lack of powered flight gives you only one try, because you can’t really pull out of a landing or correct without power. You get one try. Secondly, Me163’s couldn’t engage enemy aircraft when landing. They could only land, usually while being shot at.
Only 9 bombers were destroyed by this incredible aircraft, but it had some extraordinary new weaponry, the SG 500 Jagdfaust, (Fighter fist). This is how it worked. In the wing root’s, on either side of the fuselage, were 10 vertically firing tubes, 5 on each side of the wing. Each pointed straight up, and carried only on .50 calibre bullet. Ana photo-electric cell was mounted in the middle. This was a brilliant and devastating weapon. When the Me163 flew under a bombers shadow, the photo-electric cell noticed it. And when it noticed the shadow, all ten .50 bullets shot straight up… into the enemy bomber. It was successfully combat tested on a B-17, when a Komet destroyed it in mid-air.
In late 1943, Japan, more specifically Mitsubishi, was able to get manufacturing rights from the Germans for this aircraft. The navy got the J8M1, and the army got the Ki-200. However, one of the u-boats carrying the blueprints was sunk. The Japanese, incredibly, were able to produce prototypes from the incomplete blueprints before the war ended. One even flew before the war ended.
The Komet was futuristic in several ways. It was one of the first aircraft that used swept-wings, which were used in later fighters. It was rocket powered, and flew at incredible speeds. It was shaped like a combination of a bat and a dart, and was small and agile. The Komet used two hypergolic, or spontaneously combusting, liquids, T-Stoff and Z-Stoff. When they were combined, they reacted so violently the resulting explosion propelled it forward. It was flown at the secret test facility of Peenemunde in June 1940, by pilot Heini Dittmar. It had an awesome speed and a steep climb rate, and killer handling. One was towed to a height of 4000 meters before it was released. It fired its rocket engine and reached speeds of around 1003 KpH before it started to become unstable, which destroyed the world speed record at the time. However, the Komet’s were armed with cannons’, and only 60 rounds per cannon, and not particularly effective. They could have been, though, with more design improvements.
Me163 Komet. Discuss.
I'd upload images, but its not working for me temporarily.
Here are my sources:
Fighter Aircraft by Francis Crosby
Last edited by pace51 (2010-04-20 11:22:49)
