In WW2, the rocketpowered, tailless Messerschmitt Me163 Komet interceptor was on the leading edge of aerospace technology — its mission, a lastditch German effort to defend the Reich.

Last year, on a visit organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society's Munich Branch, we had the opportunity to interview one of the few surviving Me163 pilots, Dr Reinhard Opitz, on his experiences in flying this rare aircraft, within the apt surroundings of the Messerschmitt Museum at EADS/Cassidian Manching. The Museum, on the EADS facility, is home to the EADS Heritage Flight, a unique collection showcasing part of German aeronautical history.

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