Was the Me 163 used in combat?
To this day their Me-163 Komet remains the only rocket-powered combat aircraft.
Did the Me 163 break the sound barrier?
In 1944, a modified Me 163 reportedly achieved 702 miles per hour in a dive, nearly shearing off its vertical stabilizer in the process. This unofficial record was not exceeded until 1947, when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his Bell X-1. The Komet’s design was revised for mass production in the Me 163B.
How many aircraft did the Me 163 shoot down?
16 aircraft
Although it shot down 16 aircraft, mainly four-engined bombers, it did not warrant the effort put into the project. Due to fuel shortages late in the war, few went into combat, and it took an experienced pilot with excellent shooting skills to achieve “kills”.
What type of fuel did the Me 163 use?
Once an Me 163 skidded to a halt on its belly, it had to be hoisted up and towed by a modified agricultural tractor. The Komet’s rocket engine used a propellant called C-Stoff, combining methanol and hydrazine hydrate. The C-Stoff was oxidized with a hydrogen peroxide–based solution called T-Stoff.
Why did the ME 163 have a propeller?
The Me 163 rocket engine used a fuel-and-catalyst steam generator to feed a turbine which in turn drove the dual fuel pumps via worm drives. This propeller directly drives a 2,000 watt, 24 volt, direct current generator to charge the 20 amp-hour storage battery secured in the nose of the aircraft.
How fast was the Messerschmitt 163 Komet?
With a top speed of 540 mph, Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 262 was by far the fastest fighter of World War II. It was powered by jet engines, a new technology that was not always reliable.
Why do we not hear sonic booms anymore?
Why don’t we ever hear sonic booms any more? Noise abatement regulations halted supersonic flight (by civil aircraft) over U.S. land. The Concorde could still take off and land here because it broke the sound barrier over the ocean, but it’s no longer in service.