ME 163 on GB

[grossekatz]

Don't know if its bs or not, Looks cool though. Not something you see for sale every day real or otherwise

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=346521293

Mods feel free to move this but I figured the ww2 guys would get a kick out of it

[berg]

Pretty neat but a surprising lack of photos for a $200,000 item. For all we know this is a wooden replica.

[Sampachi]

I had heard that someone was building replicas of these... but still... WOW!

[bellts]

...had a tendency to destroy the fuel tank, flood the cockpit, and dissolve the pilot.

Sounds lovely.

[eighteenninetytwo]

all true - but it scared the CRAP out of our guys when it first arrived on the scene. they'd rocket up above the bombers then glide down to attack then glide to land / crash

[NOTABIKER]

a few years back the Chino Air museum had a original ME 262. they sold it to Paul Allen. i do not know if they made it flyable or just parked it.

[saigarocks]

yeah, it also didn't have a wheeled landing gear, just a skid - so landing the thing was pretty chancy - another chance for it to go BOOM - i'm sure it was the fastest aircraft of WWII - probably 600 mph with the 262 only around 500-525 but of course both were faster than any thing the allies had

[grossekatz]

all true - but it scared the CRAP out of our guys when it first arrived on the scene. they'd rocket up above the bombers then glide down to attack then glide to land / crash

The 2 30mm cannons on board are scary enough by themselves.

[NOTABIKER]

during fueling they had a 2 part mix, if it was not purged before the second step KA BOOM

[mark501w]

A real death trap!

[wilit]

Not my favorite Kraut plane, but awesome nonetheless. Too bad it's not something you could actually fly (or would want to) since most ME163 pilots died from aircraft issues than actual combat related deaths.

[saki302]

By the time it landed, it was out of fuel and most likely ammo too. Probably light and easy to land (but a sitting duck if a P51 finds you).

The dangerous part was with refueling and take off.

[NOTABIKER]

some pilots broke their back on rough landings with those skids.

[eckerph]

Dude has been trying to sell this for some time now.

[knucklehead0202]

like many things German, the level of innovation is simply stunning, but so is the lack of time spent perfecting it. "Ziss aeroplane vill go 600 miles per hour" "But it may explode on takeoff" "ach sheisse, Heil Hitler!"