Luftwaffe rocket plane into 'production'

摘要

A team of enthusiasts in Speyer, Germany has begun to recreate a Bachem Ba 349 Natter vertically-launched rocket fighter. Originally envisaged by the Third Reich as a last ditch 'wonder weapon' combining inexpensive wooden construction with an advanced powerplant, the Natter never made it past the testing stage.rnThe team researched what little documentation there was available, and some 300 construction drawings were created on computer before work on the plywood airframe began. Instrumentation for the replica will be based on that used in the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, as this used the same Walter HWK 109-509 rocket engine. The Natter will, in theory at least, be flyable, and if enough customers can be found, the team hope to build up to ten examples.