| Plane type & model |
Rocket-fighter (Me-163B-1a) |
The origins of the Komet were attribuited to the studies of Alexander Lippisch on tailess glirders and on a rocket-base plane derivated from that. In 1939 Lippisch entered in Messerschmitt and here he was permitted to continue his testings, that conduced to the wooden-glirder DFS-194 , with a Walter I-203 rocket as engine. The testings revealed that the project was excellent and it was then ordered to develop a military version of the plane ,designated Me.163 . The developing of the plane was slow, as there were numerous problems with the two components-made fuel. Also at that time the priority assigned to a very-low range interceptor was very small. On 23 June 1943 it was made the first fly of a pre-series exemplar Me.163B. In February 1944 commenced the series production and the first dealings to the JG.400 were recorded on May 1944. The first combat action was on 28 July 1944 ,but numerous organization and training problems caused the sporadic and ineffective use of the plane. The production ended in February 1945. The Komet was copied in Japan by the Mitsubishi as Ki-200 , but it seems that only one navy-exemplar (J8M1) flew on 7 July 1945. |
