For educational purposes<br /><br />The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. <br /><br />It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. <br /><br />Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. <br /><br />Messerschmitt test pilot Rudy Opitz in 1944 reached 1,123 km/h (698 mph). <br /><br />Over 300 aircraft were built, however the Komet proved ineffective as a fighter, having been responsible for the destruction of only about nine Allied aircraft.
