In the late 1930s, in some countries with a developed aviation industry, work was underway to create rocket engines for aircraft. Germany and the USSR were considered the undisputed leaders in this area. And if in the Soviet Union work in this direction did not lead to anything more than the creation of experimental samples, then in Germany the Me.163 Komet missile interceptor was created, which was used in battles at the final stage of World War II.
The plane made its first flight on September 1, 1941. But the German jet fighter-interceptor with a liquid propellant rocket engine made its first combat sortie only on May 14, 1944. Despite very modest successes in aerial combat and a large number of problems and shortcomings, the Messerschmitt Me.163 Komet was a unique aircraft that left a bright mark in the history of aviation. It was the only tailless liquid-propellant rocket-powered aircraft to take part in aerial combat. After takeoff, the plane dropped the wheeled chassis trolley, it was forced to land on a retractable ski. The small fuel reserve did not allow the aircraft to make a repeated approach to the target.
In addition, the plane had other features. For example, a very narrow specialization: a daytime interceptor for fighting allied bombers, which was distinguished by a record speed for its time (about 950 km / h) and a rate of climb. Separately, it can be noted that the designation Me.163 was assigned to the aircraft absolutely undeservedly, since the creative contribution to the project of Willie Messerschmitt and his company was very small, according to the system adopted in Germany, the fighter should have received the name of the chief designer, who was Professor Alexander Lippisch.
The main disadvantages of the "Kometa" were the short operating time of the engine, as well as the difficulty of regulating the flight speed. Fuel was enough for a maximum of 8 minutes of flight (the plane was aimed at the target from the ground) - moreover, in order to attack the Allied heavy bombers, the plane had to rise to a great height. For example, he gained 12,000 meters in 3.5 minutes. Experienced pilots tried to regulate the approach speed of the aircraft with a target by turning the engine off and on, in combination with performing slides and slides. Such manipulations required from them a refined piloting technique, were very difficult, and therefore dangerous to perform. After attacking the target, the plane had to carefully glide to the nearest airfield, hoping that its helplessness would not be detected by the enemy.
A two-chamber engine could significantly improve the maneuverability and flight duration of the interceptor fighter. The launch camera worked during take-off and climb, and the cruising one during cruise flight. In this case, the flight using the sustainer camera had to take place at a lower speed, which would improve the conditions for aiming and shooting. However, until the end of World War II, fighter-interceptors with two-chamber engines did not enter service. Therefore, the combat potential of the aircraft remained extremely limited.
In real combat conditions, the Me.163 fighters completely failed. Dozens of German pilots were forced to master new technology and fly combat missions on airplanes that were "raw" and dangerous in piloting, often losing their lives. With hundreds of Me.163 fighter-interceptors fired (according to various estimates, more than 350 aircraft could have been assembled), they shot down, according to various sources, from 9 to 16 Allied bombers, having lost at least 6 aircraft from the actions of enemy fighters alone, at least 4 more were shot down onboard gunners of bombers. After the end of the Second World War, part of the Me.163 aircraft fell into the hands of the allies - the USSR, the USA, and Great Britain, whose specialists made their own opinion about the machine.
Me.163 Komet in the USSR
After the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, the USSR, along with the USA and Great Britain, became the owner of several serviceable "Comets", including 2-3 rather rare two-seater aircraft. At first it was planned to test the trophies in flight with the engine running, but it was not possible to find the required amount of fuel, so the aircraft was tested in a "non-motorized" version. Studies of the aircraft were carried out immediately after the war. Like the Western allies in the Soviet Union, they studied the behavior of a tailless aircraft in the air, as well as when landing on a skid at various speeds.
The research was carried out under the guidance of engineer Igor Pashkovsky, Mark Gallay acted as a test pilot. As a tug for the Me.163, a Tu-2 bomber was used, which was usually piloted by Igor Shelest. Pilots A. A. Efimov also performed flights on the "Comet". and Ya. I. Bernikov (Hero of the Soviet Union, who won 16 aerial victories). At the same time, at another airfield, the German interceptor fighter flew over V. E. Golofastov, who made a total of 17 flights. And here the Tu-2 bomber, piloted by Igor Piskunov, was used as a tug.
During one of the test flights, the ejection mechanism of the wheeled bogie failed. Golofastov decided to gain altitude, and then drop the cart at the exit from the dive. But during the climb, the tow rope got entangled around the cart and the "Comet" turned upside down. As a result, the pilot managed to level the plane, but after a minute the fighter turned over again. Then he decided to repeat the maneuver, and soon he managed to throw off the towing cable, and then, at the exit from the steep dive, already the wheeled cart. Since Soviet aircraft designers were most interested in the aerodynamics of a tailless aircraft, the Me.163 under the control of Gallai usually flew covered with paper strips that showed the distribution of air flows on the surface of the aircraft. Also, the behavior of the aircraft in a dive at different angles of attack, when flying at maximum speed, was practiced. A study of the behavior of the "Comet" was carried out at various displacements of the center of gravity.
During the tests, it was found that a displacement of the center of gravity even by 2-3% leads to a sharp collapse of the aircraft on the nose, which can be compensated only by pulling the handle towards you to the point of failure. Moreover, this feature manifested itself only after the towing cable was dropped. Since the pilot could not operate the pen, it was impossible to land the plane. However, Gallay took the risk. At an altitude of 50 meters, he slightly released the control stick, and took the plane down. The landing took place in a very hard mode due to the high speed of touching the surface. As a result of a hard landing, the landing runner was torn off, the plane was thrown upward, and it fell onto the fuselage. Even at the moment of the first impact on the ground, the pilot was thrown in the seat, after which he hit his head on the cockpit canopy, losing consciousness. The mechanic Zharkov, who was the first to run up to the landing site, removed it from the plane crashed during landing. So it was found that tailless aircraft have an extremely small margin of longitudinal stability.
Since there was another fighter of this type at the airfield, suitable for flight, and the test pilot escaped with a slight concussion and spinal contusion, it was decided to resume flights after 3 weeks. Unfortunately, the exact number of flights carried out in the USSR on the "Comets" is unknown. But according to the recollections of test pilots, the plane took to the air many times. These flights allowed the development of tactics for landing jet aircraft with the engine off, which later saved the lives of many pilots.
Me.163 Komet in the USA
Even before the end of World War II in Europe, USAAF intelligence formed a special department that was engaged in collecting information on all German aircraft. The discovered German aircraft were to be tested in the United States. On April 22, 1945, several pilots and technicians were included in the department, whose task was to directly collect captured aircraft, various equipment and documentation.
Two teams were involved in the intelligence and aircraft gathering operation. The first was led by Colonel Harold E. Watson. His group was engaged in direct search and collection of aircraft. Another group conducted interrogations of German test pilots, engineers and designers, and also collected technical documentation for German aircraft. Both groups consisted of a total of about 50 people. At the same time, back in 1944, a list of German aircraft was compiled, which were to be tested in the first place. Naturally, this list also included the Me.163 fighter-interceptor.
As a result, five "Comets", along with additional equipment, were delivered to Wright Field Base (today it is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base). The comets arrived here at the end of August 1945 and received the designation FE (Foreign Evaluation) 495, 500, 501, 502, 503. When studying the aircraft, the Americans used information received from Professor Lippisch, as well as Captain Rudolf Opitz, who took part in the tests. Over time, he was replaced by another famous Luftwaffe pilot, Vogel, who could explain himself in English.
The FE 502 and 503 fighters were in poor technical condition, so they were disassembled in order to study the internal structure. And two FE 495 and 500 machines, which had the best safety, were delivered to Freemanfield (Indiana), where flight tests were planned. The first FE 500 aircraft was ready to fly in October 1945, but they were postponed until March 1946. The pause was due to the installation of the wings from the FE 495 on the plane, as they were in the best condition. Prior to that, the Americans again interrogated Lippisch and Vogel. The Germans confirmed that, despite the repairs carried out, the rudders of the fighter were not adjusted and the glider skin was worn out. Therefore, during the planned air tests, it will not be possible to accelerate the Me.163 to maximum speeds. Other components of the fighter also worked unreliably, for example, the landing runner release and retraction system.
As a result, it took several more days before all the faults were fixed. The trophy ready to take off was designated T-2-500. Also, the Americans managed to get 1.5 tons of fuel for it. Therefore, their plans included flights with the engine on, although the first tests were planned to be carried out in tow, as in the USSR. The tests were to take place in 3 stages: flying in tow, which would show the stability of the tailless aircraft; turning on the engine already in flight, after it gains altitude in tow; the final part involved starting from the ground with the engine running.
The first flight took place on May 4, 1946. A B-29 Superfortress bomber was used as a tug. At the start, the tow rope accidentally unhooked and the interceptor fighter made an emergency landing, while the pilot managed to land the car without serious damage. Problems were noted only with the hydraulic runner release mechanism, which caused a delay in testing. In the future, several flights were made on the "Comets", including in the glider mode at an altitude of up to 10,000 meters. After reaching this height, the test pilot carefully guided the plane to the ground and landed the car. Since non-powered flights have shown nothing of value, flights with the engine on in the United States most likely never took place.
Me.163 Komet in UK
In June 1945, a special commission left the UK for defeated Nazi Germany to search for everything that could be useful in the field of aircraft construction - aircraft, equipment, documentation. The team of British specialists was led by Sir Roy Fedden, who was one of the most distinguished British engineers in the field of engine building. At the same time, some of the objects interesting to the British ended up in the Soviet zone of occupation, and some in the American one. In this regard, the real luck for them was that they got their hands on 14 fully combat-ready Me.163 fighter-interceptors and from 12 to 15 disassembled aircraft (according to German data) located at the Husum airbase. At the same time, the British themselves counted 24 fighters, not counting the Me.262, Ar.234 and He.162 that they inherited.
In Great Britain, test flights of the captured Me.163 fighter-interceptors began in the same 1945 and continued until November 1947. Test flights were carried out from Wisley and Wittering air bases, since here it was possible to land on an unpaved grass strip. German technicians assured the British that about 80% of all Me.163 accidents happened at the take-off or landing stage, and about 15% of cases were caused by fires in the air. And only 5% of the fighters were lost for combat reasons. Having familiarized themselves with such gloomy statistics, the British decided to test the Me.163 as a glider, without an engine and fuel, while the weight of the aircraft was reduced by more than 2 times. They used the Spitfire Mk. IX fighter as a towing vehicle.
Me.163 at the exhibition in Hyde Park, September 1945
According to the British pilots, the behavior of the fighter in the air practically did not differ from the aircraft of the usual scheme, its control remained even at flight speeds of more than 700 km / h. To find out the promising wing configurations, the fighter-interceptor was planted at high speed - up to 250 km / h. Testing of the aircraft in the UK went pretty well, with the exception of the actual landings, which were often very hard. The impacts and jolts during landing directly affected the pilot - even in the Luftwaffe, it cost some especially unlucky pilots a spinal fracture. As a result, on November 15, 1947, the landing skid of the Me.163 fighter was seriously damaged, the shock absorber of which pierced the floor of the cockpit, after this incident, the tests of the fighter were curtailed.
Among the few British pilots to fly the Me.163 fighter was Eric Brown, a legend in the Royal Air Force. During his career, he has flown 487 types of aircraft - more than anyone in aviation history, according to warspot.ru. After the end of World War II, Brown became the commander of a group of pilots who were testing captured German aircraft. At the same time, Eric Brown was piloting a "full-fledged" fighter-interceptor, with an engine.
Me.163 at the exhibition in Hyde Park, September 1945
Its first flight took place on June 10, 1945. According to Eric Brown, the Me.163 fighter was a pleasure to fly because of its unique capabilities - the interceptor literally "jumped" forward. In terms of climb rate, it surpassed many first-class piston fighters of those years by more than 5 times - 16,000 feet (about 4900 meters) per minute versus 3000 feet (about 900 meters), respectively. At the same time, the roar of a working rocket engine was like the roar of a train rushing at full speed. But at the same time, the aircraft was extremely unreliable, which was confirmed by its operation in Germany and the ratio of air victories to non-combat losses.
Although the trail of the Me.163 in the history of aviation was bright, it was a dead-end path of development. He owned a number of outstanding achievements in flight speed and climb rate, he came close to overcoming the "sound barrier". The plane, during tests in Germany, managed to reach a speed of more than 1000 km / h, coming close to supersonic flight speed. But in general, the missile interceptor could not compete with fighters equipped with turbojet engines in terms of efficiency and safety of use. Subsequently, the use of liquid-propellant rocket engines in aviation developed along the path of developing auxiliary engines, but by the mid-1960s this direction had completely died out.
