This rare newsreel includes extremely rare footage of the German ME163 rocket powered fighter. These German films of ME163 performance tests give an idea of the power of these primitive, yet revolutionary, interceptor aircraft.

The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocketpowered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocketpowered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational and the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1000 kph (621 mph) in level flight. Its design was revolutionary and its performance unprecedented. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached 1,130 km/h (700 mph), an unofficial flight airspeed record unmatched by turbojetpowered aircraft for almost a decade. Over 300 aircraft were built, but the Komet proved ineffective in its dedicated role as an interceptor aircraft and was responsible for the destruction of only about nine to 18 Allied aircraft against 10 losses.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com