Messerschmitt Bf.163 recon plane

 

The Messerschmitt Bf.163 (NOT to be confused with the Messerschmitt Me.163  Komet the rocket-powered interceptor) was a German STOL (acronym standing for Short Take Off and Landing) designed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and built by Weserflug during the late 1930s.

During Autumn 1935 the Fieseler Fi.156 Storch project was showing a lot of potential in the field of short-range reconnaissance and aerial observation that the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - German air ministry) issued a requirement for an army cooperation and observation aircraft with an stipulated performance parameters. The required engine to work with was the Argus As.10 or the Hirth Hm.508 stressing on the STOL capabilities. Maximum possible field of view for a crew of two and a range wide of speed were requested too. A total of three designs were presented for this requirement, the Siebel Si.201, the Fieseler Fi.156 and the Messerschmitt Bf.163. 

The Messerschmitt Bf.163 resembled in some regards the Fi.156 as it was a high-wing braced monoplane with a structure made entirely out of metal. It had also automatic edge wing slots, double slotted flaps and a specially tall fixed undercarriage. Its most innovative feature was its capacity for varying the incidence of the entire wing which swiveled on its main axis, with the bracing struts attached to the main fuselage by ball joints which could change their angle with the movement of the wing. The only prototype was built by Weserflug, although, as it was designed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) before 11th July 1938 when that company changed its name to Messerchmitt AG, it retained the Bf. prefix given by the RLM.

The only prototype flew for the first time on 19th February 1938. It was powered by a single Argus As.10C rated at 240 hp of power. The Bf.163 V1, when tested, had similar flight characteristics as the Fieseler Fi.156, but it was more complex and expensive, hence why, although a second prototype was underway, the whole project was cancelled in favour of the Fi.156.

In a strange decision, the RLM reissued the fuselage designation number 8-163 for the Me.163 Komet rocket-powered interceptor, after having allocated that number for the Bf.163. Therefore, both aircraft can be distinguished by their prefix, the earlier Bf.163 and the later Me.163. This was done because BFW changed its name to Messerschmitt, after Willy Messerschmitt bought the entire BFW on 11th July 1938.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_163

2. http://all-aero.com/index.php/contactus/53-planes-l-m-n-o/6681-messerschmitt-bf-163

3. http://airwar.ru/enc/other2/bf163.html (translated as best as we could)