Comments on: The “Deadlies”: Killer Rocket Plane (Updated)

By: CUTANGUS

CUTANGUS — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:58:15 +0000

It’s an incredibly complex and advanced achievement by his day; The Luftwaffe displayed a technology in response to a vital necessity: the point-defense interceptor.
The next step would be the VTOL interceptor, and the ultimate one, the rocket unmanned interceptor, also know as the guided anti-aircraft missile. Both too late to change the fate of airwar.

By: Cranky Observer

Cranky Observer — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:53:30 +0000

I think you missed the mode where upon jettisoning the takeoff wheels they would bounch off the ground and hit the airplane before it could gain altitude.
All that said, it is a good thing IMHO that the Japanese never perfected their version [1] — it would have made an excellent suicide airplane against air or sea targets.
Cranky
[1] Mitsubishi Ki-200 — one actually survives at the Planes of Fame in Chino.

By: vstress

vstress — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:27:52 +0000

It is the same fuel that was used in the X-15. Good info in the book written Milton Thompson (I think).

By: Coljoe

Coljoe — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 09:04:29 +0000

What about the manned rocket Bachem Ba 349 Natter?

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 16:04:16 +0000

Operation posed serious problems. The C-Stoff and T-Stoff tankers could not be allowed to come within half a kilometre of each other, so refuelling and rearming a squadron of Me163s was a fraught business to say the least. The flight line would be washed down by firetrucks between them.
When you imagine that they had to handle ammunition and oxygen cylinders at the same time, it’s incredible they didn’t manage to blow up the whole airbase.

By: JQP

JQP — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:36:27 +0000

The test pilots and pilots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna_Reitsch sure needed balls to fly the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163