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Quiz about ME163 Komet  The Devils Sledge
Quiz about ME163 Komet  The Devils Sledge

ME-163 Komet - The "Devil's Sledge" Quiz


How much do you know about one of the most amazing and revolutionary aircraft ever designed? History speaks little of this astonishing aircraft ... but it had the potential to change the world. Try this quiz and find out!

A multiple-choice quiz by Pilotsteve. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
Pilotsteve
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
332,381
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
473
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. The ME-163 was unique. It was the only operational aircraft (used during war) to use rocket power. Who designed the rocket motor? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Who designed the ME-163? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Aside from being the only operational rocket-powered aircraft in history, the ME-163 was also unique in several other ways, too. One of the most intriguing (and dangerous) design features was: Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The rocket engine of the Komet used two chemicals in order to provide the immense power needed to propel the aircraft. What were they called? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The two fuels did not need to be ignited when introduced into the combustion chamber of the Komet's rocket engine. Rather, they instantaneously ignited upon contact with one another without the need for a spark plug, igniter, or any other means. What is this type of chemical reaction called? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The ME-163 Komet was by far the fastest aircraft of World War II. It was recorded at flying over 700 mph in one test! However, this incredible speed actually served to hamper it in its intended role as an interceptor. How? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The ME-163 was an incredibly deadly aircraft and took many lives. Who were the Komets most numerous victims? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Komet was armed with fierce weaponry which could destroy bombers with a single shot. How was the ME-163 armed? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The ME-163 managed to bring down about how many enemy bombers from the skies over Germany during WWII? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. It is often said that history is written by the victors. However, the legacy of the Komet lives on - many years after the pain and sorrow of WWII. What amazing machine can best trace its lineage directly back to the Komet? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The ME-163 was unique. It was the only operational aircraft (used during war) to use rocket power. Who designed the rocket motor?

Answer: Professor Hellmuth Walther

Professor Walther operated the Hellmuth Walter Kommanditgesellschaft, a company which researched and developed different types of rocket engines and other means of propulsion. It took many years and several lives before the idiosyncrasies were finally worked out to a level deemed suitable for operational use. Truth be told, the engine was never safe as wartime conditions made the manufacture of the engine and the acquisition of the exotic alloys needed in such a novel powerplant nearly impossible to acquire.
2. Who designed the ME-163?

Answer: Professor Alexander von Lippisch

Professor von Lippisch, a genius, was the man who designed the Komet. His work in gliders during the 1920s was years ahead of its time. He is also the "Father of the Delta Wing", the aeronautical achievement which unlocked the secrets of supersonic flight.
3. Aside from being the only operational rocket-powered aircraft in history, the ME-163 was also unique in several other ways, too. One of the most intriguing (and dangerous) design features was:

Answer: It took off from a wheeled dolly which fell free once airborne. It then landed on a ski on its belly.

This was one of the most dangerous aspects of a typical Komet flight. Many pilots broke their backs when trying to land on the ski in rough fields. There was precious little suspension and the ski often jammed or froze during the near-sonic flights of the Komet.
4. The rocket engine of the Komet used two chemicals in order to provide the immense power needed to propel the aircraft. What were they called?

Answer: T-Stoff and C-Stoff

C-Stoff was a mixture of hydrazine hydrate and methanol, which was the combustible fuel for the engine. The other chemical was called T-Stoff, which was basically 80% pure hydrogen peroxide which served as an oxidizer. It was by far the most deadly, unstable, and dangerous of the two fuels used and cost many lives in its handling.
5. The two fuels did not need to be ignited when introduced into the combustion chamber of the Komet's rocket engine. Rather, they instantaneously ignited upon contact with one another without the need for a spark plug, igniter, or any other means. What is this type of chemical reaction called?

Answer: Hypergolic reaction

A hypergolic reaction occurs when two chemicals spontaneously decay upon contact with one another.
6. The ME-163 Komet was by far the fastest aircraft of World War II. It was recorded at flying over 700 mph in one test! However, this incredible speed actually served to hamper it in its intended role as an interceptor. How?

Answer: Its speed was so fast the pilot couldn't possibly take an accurate shot at the bombers.

The Komet flew at such mind-numbing speeds that the closure rate was incredibly fast. Flying over 450 miles an hour faster than its intended target, the B-17 bombers would appear as a tiny dot in the gunsights of the Komet, blossom into a huge shape in an instant (where the pilot would have to take immediate evasive action or collide!), and be gone miles behind the ME-163 in mere seconds.

The pilots had little hope of getting off an accurate, lethal shot at the bombers.
7. The ME-163 was an incredibly deadly aircraft and took many lives. Who were the Komets most numerous victims?

Answer: The crewmen and pilots who serviced and flew the aircraft.

The Komet took a fierce toll in blood of the pilots and crew who serviced the aircraft. Many refueling mishaps led to shattering explosions, and fully-fueled Komets lying in wait for the approach of the bombers literally exploded on the ramp for no apparent reason! Hundreds were killed during the testing phases of the Komet alone.
8. The Komet was armed with fierce weaponry which could destroy bombers with a single shot. How was the ME-163 armed?

Answer: Two MK-108 30mm cannons

The MK-108 fired soda-can sized high-explosive shells which exploded on contact. It had a slow rate of fire and the heavy rounds had a very short range and poor ballistics capabilities (they dipped quickly and flew wildly.) However, if only one single shell hit the target, it was devastating.
9. The ME-163 managed to bring down about how many enemy bombers from the skies over Germany during WWII?

Answer: 16

The Germans kept meticulous records of their wartime statistics. Only 16 enemy aircraft were ever shot down by the 370 Komets built.
10. It is often said that history is written by the victors. However, the legacy of the Komet lives on - many years after the pain and sorrow of WWII. What amazing machine can best trace its lineage directly back to the Komet?

Answer: The Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle flight is remarkably similar to that of the long-silent Komet. Launching under the weight of immense rocket power and gliding back to earth to land, Alexander von Lippisch actually helped design the space shuttle before he died in 1976.
Source: Author Pilotsteve

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