This Was The World’s Scariest Aircraft During WW2

During WWII, Germany experimented with various designs for unpowered aircraft, including gliders. Leveraging their experience with rocket engines, German engineers conceived the idea of installing a rocket engine in a glider, leading to the creation of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.

Fatal Flights

After numerous prototypes and several fatal test flights, the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was first deployed in 1944. Measuring only 18 feet in length, it required a dolly for takeoffs. Once airborne, the dolly would be jettisoned, revealing a single skid that served as its landing gear.

This skid was supported by an oleo-pneumatic strut designed to absorb the shock of landings. However, if the strut malfunctioned, the pilot faced a very rough landing, often resulting in serious injuries.

Three of its main test pilots experienced this malfunction and were hospitalized with serious spinal damage and skull fractures.

Impossible Landings

The aircraft was highly sensitive to updrafts, which could cause it to rise unexpectedly and overshoot the runway. Its high speeds also meant it could zip past targets in seconds, requiring excellent marksmanship and a bit of luck to hit anything.

Pilots had to adhere to special low-fiber diets because gas in the gastrointestinal tract would rapidly expand during the Komet’s extremely fast climbs, causing discomfort.

Additionally, the aircraft was unpressurized despite its ability to climb to 32,000 feet in under three minutes.

Volatile Fuel Mix

The most dangerous aspect of the Komet was its fuel. It used a combination of C-Stoff (hydrazine hydrate and methanol) and T-Stoff (concentrated hydrogen peroxide).

These fuels would combust upon contact with each other, necessitating separate fueling ports and distinct tankers for refueling.

The high volatility of these fuels led to numerous fires and explosions, causing injuries and fatalities among pilots and ground crew.

Such incidents were often exacerbated by ruptured or leaking fuel lines, which were frequent due to the rough landings the Komet endured.

A Deadly Combo

The Komet carried 1,040 liters of C-Stoff behind the cockpit’s rear wall and 120 liters of T-Stoff on either side of the pilot.

T-Stoff had to be stored in aluminum containers, while C-Stoff was kept in enamel or glass to prevent it from eating through other materials.

Pilots wore special rubberized asbestos suits to protect themselves from the corrosive fuel.