At the turn of the 30s-40s of the last century, a jet fuel aircraft was developed by many, but only the Germans succeeded in this. They developed, embodied in metal, flew around, launched into a series and even “threw” fighter jets into battle. This article will examine in detail the process of creating (1941-1944) and the participation of the German high-speed Messerschmitt Me-163 fighter at the final stage of the war.
Characteristic
Messerschmitt Me-163 - a unique aircraft without tail unit (tailless), which had a liquid engine. The historical injustice is the letter “Me” in its name.
The contribution of Willy Messerschmitt and his company Messerschmitt A.G to the creation of this particular model was extremely small. It was mainly made by Hans Klemm Flugzeugbau, and the “brain” of the project was Dr. Lippisch. In the state machine of the Third Reich, its creation was “forced through” by Boymker and Lorenz. The tests began in the fall of 1941, and the fighter received baptism of fire exactly one year before the end of the war. In total, several hundred aircraft were produced with all modifications and prototypes (a maximum of 90 units were produced in the last month of the penultimate year of the war). In January 1945, 42 fighters were transferred to the Luftwaffe, after which their production ceased.
Power point
- Engine type: liquid-jet (LRE), single chamber. Two-chamber engines were developed, but the Me-163 Komet, transmitted to the Luftwaffe, did not manage to install them.
- Fuel: C-Stoff - methanol, diomide hydrate and water in a proportion of 57/30/13. Oxidizing agent: T-Stoff - 80% hydrogen peroxide. Ignition occurs instantly when the engine starts. Lack of supply of this hypergolic mixture means engine shutdown.
Armament and reservation
- On the first 15% of the aircraft were two 20 mm guns for a hundred charges each.
- Subsequently, the caliber of the guns was increased to 30 mm, and the stock of shells was reduced to sixty.
- On individual copies of the Me-163 Komet fighter of flying fortresses, a 50 mm smoothbore gun SC-500 jagdfaust was installed.
- The Me-163A was additionally equipped with missiles (twelve "guides" under each wing).
- On Me-163B-0 (V45) installed Yaherfaust. Fired five Faustpatron shells vertically upward automatically, as soon as the shadow of an enemy bomber fell on the photocell of the sensor. I didn’t get to the front. Equipped with twelve Me-163 Komet fighters. Actually remained at the model stage.
- To carry out the tail ramming of the “flying fortress”, the wings of one of the Me-163 & laquo; Comet ”were reinforced with steel.
- The sight is collimator. Moved outside the cockpit.
- Front booking: 15 mm armor plate and 90 mm bulletproof glass.
- Lateral reservation - two armor plates of eight millimeters thick.
- Back booking: 13 mm armor plate covering the head, shoulders and back of the pilot.
The nature of take-off, flight and landing
- Take-off took place using a special cart and chassis (remained on the ground), and landing was carried out on a retractable ski (the wooden one used at the beginning was replaced by steel).
- Flight: a rapid climb to the required height (90-210 seconds), the necessary maneuvers to attack enemy aircraft and return to the airfield (270-390 seconds).
- Landing was carried out with the engine turned off in the planning mode.
main parameters
- Speed ​​(max): 830 km / h (at sea level), 960 km / h (at an altitude of 3,000 m).
- Planning speed: up to 220 km / h.
- Flight range: up to 200 km.
- Active piloting time: up to 500 sec.
- Time to reach maximum height: 210 sec.
- Flight altitude limit: 12 km.
disadvantages
- There was no time to reload the guns. Their low reliability (probability of weapon failure not less than 1%).
- Due to the insufficient size of the fuel tanks, the radius of the Me-163 aircraft did not exceed, as a rule, 100 km. It was not possible to re-enter the target.
- Toxicity and explosiveness of a hypergolic mixture and its components.
- High speed. Very little time for accurate aiming.
- The difficulty of regulating flight speed. Experienced pilots turned off and on the engine, and also performed aerobatics (slide, slide, etc.), which at very high speed required the highest skill.
- Almost complete defenselessness during planning for the return to the airfield and landing of the Me-163 fighter.
- Daytime interceptor. Flights in the evening and at night are not possible.
- They require a high level of piloting skill.
Advantages
- Record high speed (up to 1000 km / h). Rapid approach to the enemy (at first it caused panic among English-speaking pilots).
- Excellent maneuverability.
- Powerful weapons.
- Fast climb (12 kilometers in just 210 seconds).
- Equipped with an oxygen device.
- It was possible to drain the fuel and oxidizer remaining after the active phase of the flight (increased safety during landing).
Relevant Me-163 Models
Me-163S - training model:
- Double and non-motorized. It was used only for training purposes to practice landing. Only 10 copies built.
- Instead of fuel, water was poured into the tanks.
Did not get into the Me-163C, Me-163D and Me-263 series:
- Me-163C - increased fuel supply and guns transferred from the wings to the fuselage. Built three pieces.
- Me-163 D, almost all complaints of technicians and pilots are taken into account. The volume of the aircraft was increased and, accordingly, it became more than a hypergolic mixture. A two-chamber engine is installed. The chassis has become 3-wheel and retractable inside the aircraft. The pilot compartment is sealed.
- Me-263 - teardrop-shaped lantern, bow reservation changed, increased ammunition. The only instance captured by the Red Army.
The Luftwaffe purchased almost exclusively Me-163B and 163A:
- Externally, the models are very similar.
- A tail wheel appeared on the Me-163B.
- On prototypes - Me-163BV6 and Me-163BV18 - a 2-chamber engine was installed.
Unique airfield equipment:
- With the inherent neatness and meticulousness of this nation, the Germans took the "little things" seriously. Special tractors and carts were designed and purchased by the Luftwaffe to ensure the take-off of the Me-163.
- For work with a very dangerous hypergolic mixture, unique fueling machines have been designed and also purchased by the Luftwaffe.
- A window was cut into the cockpit lantern, for eyes were watering from the fuel vapor.
Pilot Requirements
- For fights on Me-163 from the front, the best of the best were recalled. At the very beginning, priority was given to those who had a good score of downed planes and were engaged in glider sports.
- The ability to endure overloads, make decisions instantly and navigate perfectly both in battle and on the ground was highly appreciated.
- Good health was also an important condition. I had to experience cold and lack of oxygen at exorbitant heights, poisonous vapors of a hypergolic mixture acted.
The fighting and their results
In total, the Me-163 were armed with 3 groups. In fact, one fought (deployed in the Leipzig area), the second (deployed on the North Coast) - very few. And the third was in the formation stage and did not take part in the battles.
The fighting began in May of the penultimate year of the war. On the 14th, the Me-163's engine stalled in battle. The enemy, not having to finish off the fighter, flew away. Me-163 tomato red managed to land. Three more fights in the same month ended to no avail.
Departure to intercept the reconnaissance aircraft on July 7 - no result (out of fuel). Already in the area of ​​a large industrial center (Leipzig), the clash on July 28 also did not lead to results.
On August 16, 5 interceptors entered the fray. The gunner set fire to the Me-163B (the pilot jumped with a parachute). Lt. Rull “flunked” the B-17G, but the fuel ran out, and cover fighters shot him down.
On August 24, an armada flew out of more than a thousand Allied bombers. 3 deuces Me-163 were successively raised towards them. The initial pair attacked successfully, damaging one and shooting down another plane. From the next two, one fighter returned without knocking anyone down. The re-soaring “successful” ace Schubert shot down another plane from the head of the column.
On September 10 and 11, 18 inconclusive flights took place. But on the 28th, the returning pilot reported on the successful shelling of the enemy’s aircraft and the high probability of his death, although he did not see it with his own eyes.
It turned out to be very unsuccessful for jet fighters on October 7. One of the five take-off “Comets” shot down an Allied aircraft, and everyone returned to the airfield without loss. The tragedy has already occurred on earth. The landing fighter successively crushed three Me-163s standing on the same line. Misfortune never comes alone. Barely taking off, the plane of the famous ace Schubert exploded (three downed "flying fortresses" already on a jet fighter). On October 9 and 26, sorties did not bring results.
Three Me-163s were lost by the Luftwaffe on November 2, when the standard five took off against more than a thousand Allied aircraft. And on November 18, the Allies attacked Brandis airfield and disabled three fighters, including one irrevocably:
- On January 16, a Me-163 exploded upon landing.
- On February 10, one aircraft was shot down in a clash.
- On February 23, the Allied air raid was more successful - 4 Comets burned down.
- March 3 was a successful day - three “flying fortresses” were shot down.
- On March 7, the Me-163 deuce at an altitude of 12 km. attacked the Spitfire reconnaissance. Only a sharp departure at the peak and a rapid span of 6,000 meters in it allowed him to escape.
On March 15, in another unequal battle with an allied armada, one fighter was shot down. But the next day, the Moskito reconnaissance crashed when landing on its airfield. The Nazis did not know about this. Air battles were almost daily, but to no avail, except on March 24, when the Me-163 was shot down.
On April 10, according to Lieutenant Kelb, at an altitude of 14 km, he activated a “Faustpatron” type shooting system and shot down a “Mosquito”. Enemy pilots really parachuted. But it was not possible to establish reliably the reasons for this.
On April 22, Lancaster “filled up” the remaining 3 Me-163 fuel. There was no more fuel. There were no sorties.
The last success of the Me-163, and in this case the experimental Me-201A0, took place on May 10, when it shot down a "flying fortress" from an experimental 50 mm gun.
In total, according to the German side, the Komet pilots have 16 victories, while according to Anglo-American sources they have 9. The same sources claim that at least 5 Me-163 died in air battles, but losses during test flights, take-offs and landings, as well as on the ground 5-6 times higher (at least 17 only for the period of hostilities).
By the end of the war, 80 fighter jets and 60 pilots were in combat units. It is authentically known that the Allies captured 25 Me-163 Comet (the Americans are also the chief designer). The remaining planes were either destroyed by the executive Germans, or the data on their capture did not appear in open sources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is impossible not to note the significant contribution of the Me-163 to the history of aviation. The incomprehensible speed of both lifting and horizontal flight at that time (the “sound barrier” was practically reached). Very powerful weapons, which surprisingly combined with its practical inapplicability. Aces pilots, called to fly on fighter jets of this model, would bring dozens of times great benefit if they fly on conventional fighters.
On the whole, as they say, the mountain gave birth to a mouse, but one cannot but give credit to the German technical genius, who overtook time itself. Without the Me-163 Komet, more advanced and successful jet fighters would not have been created so quickly.
Paying tribute to this model, at its core, it is a single mid-flight plane operating on the Russian Railways, with an arrow-shaped wing and no tail. Currently, you can buy Me-163 1:72 in the form of a model for construction and assembly.