Tags: Aircraft.
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet designed by Alexander Lippisch was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached 1130 km/h (700 mph) not broken in terms of absolute speed until November 1947[citation needed].