Me 163 "Komet"

The Me 163 "Komet", designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch, was the only operational rocket-powered fighter aircraft during the Second World War. Although revolutionary and capable of performance unrivalled at the time, it proved dangerous to operate. With only eight minutes of powered flight, the plane truly was a dedicated point defense interceptor. Unlike the Me 262 turbojet fighter, the Komet was a failure in any operational sense. At the same time the Komet was a remarkable design that pointed the way to the future, it was one more piece of strong evidence that the day of the propeller fighter was over.