WonderWaffe Luftwaffe

[Katweezel]

WunderWaffe 7 - the rocket-powered fighter plane

With aircraft, some of the German designs not only made it off the drawing board, but also flew in combat, although often not in sufficient numbers to alter the course of the war in Germany’s favour. The Messerschmitt Me 163 was the only operational rocket-powered fighter plane of the war, but although it was very advanced it performed poorly in combat and downed limited numbers of Allied aircraft.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...5yettgyerf.jpg

(image via)

The first turbojet fighter aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 262, first appeared in the skies over Europe in 1944. Although arriving too late to seriously impact the course of the conflict, the Me 262 still claimed over 500 Allied aircraft, losing around 100 Me 262s in the process.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...jtyjryfnhg.jpg

(image via)

The Bachem Ba 349 was an experimental rocket-powered interceptor. With a vertical take off rather than using vulnerable airfields, it was intended to operate like an unmanned missile. Most of its journey to reach enemy bombers was radio controlled by ground personnel, although it did have a pilot, who would aim at the target and fire its rockets when close enough. However, the test pilot was killed in the plane’s first and last test flight in March 1945 - more info.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...jfghngfcgv.jpg

[newb99]

Originally Posted by Katweezel

WunderWaffe 7 - the rocket-powered fighter plane

With aircraft, some of the German designs not only made it off the drawing board, but also flew in combat, although often not in sufficient numbers to alter the course of the war in Germany’s favour. The Messerschmitt Me 163 was the only operational rocket-powered fighter plane of the war, but although it was very advanced it performed poorly in combat and downed limited numbers of Allied aircraft.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...5yettgyerf.jpg

(image via)

The first turbojet fighter aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 262, first appeared in the skies over Europe in 1944. Although arriving too late to seriously impact the course of the conflict, the Me 262 still claimed over 500 Allied aircraft, losing around 100 Me 262s in the process.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...jtyjryfnhg.jpg

(image via)

The Bachem Ba 349 was an experimental rocket-powered interceptor. With a vertical take off rather than using vulnerable airfields, it was intended to operate like an unmanned missile. Most of its journey to reach enemy bombers was radio controlled by ground personnel, although it did have a pilot, who would aim at the target and fire its rockets when close enough. However, the test pilot was killed in the plane’s first and last test flight in March 1945 - more info.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hVOW2U7K4-M/Sd...jfghngfcgv.jpg

Interesting post . . .

The Me163 Komet was indeed a different approach as a high altitude interceptor, although it turned out to be more lethal to it's pilot than to the crews of any enemy aircraft. The fuel was a strange concoxion that came in two separate entities and was mixed in the rocket combustion chamber whereby it became unstable and highly inflammable - creating unprecented thrust. Problem was that one part of the fuel had the unfortunate feature of disolving organic flesh on contact - and that included the pilot. Explosions on take off and mid air were common, and more aircraft and pilots were lost to mechanical and design failures than to allied action.

Me262? Just as well Hitler sidelined the project in the shadow of all of the blitzkrieg victories in 1940. If they'd made it into production in 1943 as originally envisaged by Messerschmidt I think the carpet bombing of Germany's industrial heartlands wouldn't have happened to the extent it did. Because of a call for a design change in 1944, around 1500 units at various stages of production were scrapped. Think if they'd all become operational . . .

You forgot the He162 Volksjager. Entered service in April 1945 and claimed several allied aircraft before hostilities ended. There's one on display in the Imperial War Museum in London. According to the pages of Wikipedia, over 200 were waiting to be collected from the end of the subterranean production lines and deployed for ops at the end of the war.

[Katweezel]

Recreated launch ramp at the museum in Duxford, UK -


Despite its fearsome reputation, although nearly 9,250 V1’s were fired against London and other English towns and cities, fewer than 2,500 reached their target, the others being destroyed by anti-aircraft fire, fighters, and even barrage balloons. However, V1 firing continued, at Antwerp and other cities on the European mainland as well as against England, until Allied forces finally captured the launch areas in late March 1945.

You been in Duxford, Newb?

[Katweezel]

Future Nazi warplanes, 1945.

[zengrifter]

Kat weezel, fix your broken image links. zg

[Katweezel]

I guess you like the Nazi WonderWaffe 7 rocket. Me too. Newb, that small propeller, is that for taxiing? It seems too small to move such a heavy beast?

[newb99]

The tiny prop probably serves an alternator and/or feeds an air speed indicator of some sort.

I agree with ZG though - odd topics for this place . . .

[sagefr0g]

nat geo had something on this stuff the other day, i missed most of it:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...942/Overview23