Motor Types

Model Thrust* Aircraft Weight Notes
RII.203 150-750 kg Me. 163A "Cold" Unit
RII.211
(109-509.A-0)
150-1500 kg Me. 163B 170 kg Prototype of the A-1 "Hot" Unit
First flew in May 1943
109-509.A-1 150-1700 kg
450-3300 lbs
Me. 163B 170 kg Earliest Production "Hot" Unit.
Electric starter.
109-509.A-2 150-1700 kg
450-3750 lbs
Me. 163B 160 kg Development of A-1.
Reduced weight & T-Stoff starter.
109-509.B 150-1700 + 100-300 kg
450-3750 + 650 lbs
Me. 163B 201 kg Essentially an A-1 motor
with additional cruising chamber.
Only ten made.
109-509.C 150-2000 + 100-400 kg
450-4400 + 880 lbs
Me. 263 180 kg Same parts as A-2 motor
but second cruising chamber and
re-arranged layout.
Increased main combustion chamber pressure to 24 atmos.
109-509.D 150-1700 kg DFS Sagefisch 170 kg Same parts as A-2 motor;
but divided into three assemblies, the main unit being brought forward in the airframe, with elongated fuel delivery pipes.
109-509.A-2E
("109-509.E")
150-1700 kg Ba. Natter 160 kg Development of A-2 for the "Natter".
Some re-arranged parts, including T-Stoff starter and steam generator, to allow for correct functioning with vertical launching procedure.
15 experimental units completed in 1944 for testing.   Project dropped in February 1945.
The production unit would have been the "109-509.E", but this never progressed past the design stage.
109-509.S-1
Heimatschützer I
150-1700 kg Me. 262 160 kg Development of A-2 for the Me. 262.
Mounted in the tail of an Me. 262 this provided exceptional rate of climb. But installation and maintenance was difficult.
109-509.S-2
Heimatschützer IV
Max. 2000 kg Me. 262 140 kg Rocket pack slung underneath the belly of the Me. 262.
Used parts of 109-509.A2 and C.   Was still under test at Jenbach when the factory was overrun.
*  
kg Thrust Values from Beeton
lb Thrust Values from Baxter Tech.Note 1668
The inconsistencies in some value conversions have yet to be resolved.
      ( For example 150kg multiplied by 2.2046 should convert to 330lbs. Maybe Baxter's data was only roughly compiled.)
 
 
Notes

The development of most engineering projects is usually clear and well documented. Project, pre-production and developed models are numbered and described in detail.

This was undoubtedly true for the Walterwerke. Large amounts of documents from Kiel were microfilmed and photostated and brought back to England. Unfortunately these records have not yet been uncovered or examined. Those locations in Silesia dealing with aviation-related projects were captured by the Russians and material from here is also not yet located.

There has been some confusion about the details of various models of rocket motor and the performance figures. Baxter notes the HWK 109-509.A-0 as a "cold" unit, installed as the power source in the Me.163A. However, F/Lt. Beeton's report (above) was compiled with the benefit of longer research time, so until additional corroboration is available for Baxter, Beeton is taken to be more accurate.

Here, I am presenting information based on a number of sources which were compiled at various times near the end of the war. Where possible this has been backed up by personal observation of surviving motors. However, further research is on-going, and there is every expectation that errors have been made. These will be corrected when required.

 

Sources

(see References page for full details).
1 Baxter, AD:
RAE Technote Aero 1668
September 1945
2 Baxter, AD:
RAE Technote Aero 1669
July 1945
3 Beeton, F/Lt. ABP:
RAE Technote Gas.12
March 1946

 
 
 
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