Messerschmitt Me 263

X PLANES OF THE THIRD REICH SERIES An Illustrated Series on Germany's Experimental Aircraft of World War II Into the arms of the angels went pilots of the Me 163s, however the Alexander Lippisch-designed machine wasn’t quite finished even though it went into serial production.

The RLM called upon Heinrich Hertel of Junkers Flugzeugbau to give the aging 163 a complete make over and a make up for all the initial items it lacked – that is a cruising HWK 509 bi-fuel liquid rocket engine with a dual combustion chamber, tricycle landing gear, C and T-Stoff fuel tanks in the wings to provide longer flight duration, and so on.

Although Hertel’s machine was not flight tested under power prior to war’s end the new and improved version now known as the Me 263 was test flown post war in the USSR.

David Myhra has assembled previously unpublished photos, state-of-the art digital images, and photos of a 263 scale model to make this book on the 263 a one of a kind photographic reference.