A wonder in principle… a flop in practice: Key.Aero remembers the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, a 700mph single-seater that was ahead of its time
It was a man called Alexander Lippisch who designed one of the most remarkable of the Wunderwaffen (wonder weapons) produced by the Nazi Germany during World War II: the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. The Me 163 had little actual effect on the outcome of the war, but its design was revolutionary, and itwas capable of performance unrivalled at the time.