In the 1930s in Germany, rocket engines and air-breathing jet engines were considered equal means of propulsion for high-speed aircraft. Alexander Lippisch‘s Messerschmitt Me 163 was a rocket-powered interceptor that could climb vertically at a fantastic rate.

The initial enthusiasm was later replaced by the realization that this aircraft lacked the necessary range and that landing on a skid made the operation complicated. The Messerschmitt company and Alexander Lippisch then developed the improved successor, the Me 263 (also named Junkers Ju 248).

This fighter had everything that could be expected for successful use in the Luftwaffe. Its top speed was 1000 km/h.

By the end of the war prototypes had flown and additional aircraft were under construction. The Soviet Union was impressed and rebuilt and tested this rocket-aircraft as the I-270.

A version flew in Great Britain as the De Havilland D. H.

108 with an air-breathing turbine engine. Many photos, original drawings and descriptions present this unusual fighter aircraft in great detail.

A publication that should not be missed by anyone interested in the Luftwaffe or aviation technology. .