Discover what made the famous rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me-163B the extraordinary flying machine it was. This package features possibly the most authentic aerodynamics ever done for this iconic WWII fighter, painstakingly researched and written by FSX aerodynamics master Bernt Stolle, whose own father flew the Me-163B in WWII - and thus this was a very special project. From mastering the art of taking off in an aircraft with a very narrow (and jettisonable) undercarriage, to combat maneuvering at high speed among the bomber formations, to flying back to your airfield and landing the aircraft in gilder form once the engine fuel is used up, you will come to know both the challenges and joys that were those of the real Me-163B pilots.
Although the Me-163B was known for its nice in-flight handling characteristics, this Me-163B will none the less be a challenge for experienced pilots, or for those seeking to expand their skill range. Discover why only the best of the best were allowed to fly the Me-163B Komet - including those with exceptional glider skills.
Experience the Me-163B aerodynamics to their absolute fullest.
Included free:
- An entire USAAF B-17G Flying Fortress bomber formation, to scale, with 162 accurately scaled low poly aircraft (flying via a single set of air files), which can be flown as AI or by using freeware programs (such as the excellent FormationSetup, available here), to fully enable you to experience the spectacle and scale of these formations plus what it took to get the Komet into a firing pass, for example, and discover the high skills required of flying such a high speed aircraft against slower machines.
- An accurately scaled, low poly, Messerschmitt Bf-110G tow plane, to take you up to altitude on unpowered training flights (instructions for use included).
History:
The Messerschmitt Me-163B saw action from May 1944 until the end of the war, and so far has been the only rocket-powered fighter to ever have been operational.
Designed by Alexander Lippisch, a pioneer in the field of aerodynamics and especially 'flying wing' designs, the first flight of the revolutionary Me-163A was in 1941, and soon established a new speed record of 1104.5 km/h (624.2 mph). However, the revolutionary design meant a lengthy development period, and the Komet only became operational in mid-1944. The rocket engine would remain a temperamental (and often dangerous) element of the design, but the extraordinary performance of the Me-163B would give it an unrivalled speed advantage over any contemporary piston fighter for the rest of the War. The fastest-ever recorded speed of the Me-163B was 1,130 km/h (702 mph), a speed which would not be exceeded until 1953, by a Hawker Hunter.
Information is not that clear, but some 400 Komet's were built, with 279 seeing operational service. Their actual effectiveness, due to late-war production and fuel-supply difficulties, was limited, and in the end the 163 was only responsible for (depending on the source) between 9 and 16 kills in total (for the loss of some 6 Me-163's due to enemy action plus another 9 to accidents ).
Features:
- Jettisonable main gear dolly;
- Retracting and extending skid;
- Highly accurate VC;
- Opening canopy ventilation window;
- Reticulated Revi16B gunsight;
- Revi16B tinted glass can be realistically folded out of the way;
- Working gun system, including panel system activation switches, panel safety switch, and control stick gun arming;
- Fully clickable and workable cockpit overall;
- Bump mapping in selected areas;
- Carefully researched textures;
- Accurately landing gear sequence (e.g. jettisonable main gear dolly; retractable skid);
- Removable ladder and start cart;
- Accurate Luftwaffe Me-163B rubberized pilot flight suit, flight helmet and oxygen mask;
- Turn on the oxygen system and the pilot puts on his mask;
- Animated pilot;
- Full flight operations manual, accurate and derived from the original; includes gliding instructions;
- Written history of all the aircraft depicted.
- Working Me-110 AI tow plane;
- 162 aircraft B-17G Flying Fortress AI formation with virtually no framerate impact;
- Paint kit
