Title pronounced "Em-E" for the Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet, the only operational combat rocket fighter in history. Over 300 of the Lippisch-designed tailless aircraft were built by Messerschmitt, but few saw combat and there were many training accidents with violent explosions of binary rocket fuel (hydrogen peroxide and hydrazine/methanol). The fighter was really just a point-defense interceptor, albeit one with phenomenal performance: 16,000 fpm climb, 40,000 ft ceiling, and ability to glide back to base. It was powered by a Walter HWK 509A rocket engine and the bullet-shaped aircraft had either 2x 20mm MG-151/20s or 2x 30mm MK-108s buried in the wing roots. It took off from its base with a disposable undercarriage and dropped it before even leaving the base boundary. Then a climb at over 500 mph to 40,000 ft which was above the bomber stream. It then nosed down into a dive at over 600 mph and made a firing pass at the bombers. If the LW pilot had guts he could switch off the engine and go for a relight for another pass or two. The gunners had a very hard time shooting one down due to its incredible speed. Escort fighters usually intercepted Me-163s when attempting to land unpowered or bounced them upon take-off. Many were lost to simple vibration that ruptured the fuel tanks and blew the aircraft up in flight while others were lost in equally devastating hard landings. The pilot had to wear a fire and acid-proof flightsuit for safety. The Komet saw action from Aug '44 until May 1945. Only 15 kills were made- all bombers. Years of effort for little success. A successor, the Me-263 made it to prototype status and was captured by the Soviets who made their version- the MiG I-270 which was also a failure and dropped...

Note: The Me-163 was also known as "The Rocket-powered Flea"