Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 00:18:38 +1000 (GMT+1000)
Reply-To: (email address removed)
To: aviophile
Subject: MiG I-270Z
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(some headers removed)

Hi! Nice to see a little bit more on the web about this intriguing
aircraft. My connection with it is that I'm a Me-163 enthusiast, and I
thought you might like to know a little bit about the relationship between
these two aircraft.

As you may know, there were some pretty fundamental problems with the
Me-163B design, most glaringly, the very limited burn time of the engine,
and the dangerous skid landing gear.

In 1944, plans were underway to rectify both of these problems in an
advanced version of the Me 163 that was originally designated Me 163D, but
was later called the Me 263. By this time, Alexander Lippisch had quit the
programme, and much of the design work was carried out by Junkers (hence
the designation Ju-248 sometime applied to this plane). Two, possibly
three prototype machines were completed, and at least one of them flew
before everything fell into Russian hands.

The I-270 is a direct development of this aircraft. Some sources even seem
to suggest that the two I-270s actually incorporated major airframe
components of the Me 263s. Differences include: new engine, new wings,
new fin with horizontal stabilizer added. Other than that, the two
aircraft seem quite similar, so even if no components were actually
re-used, the basic design was. 

Service ceiling was an estimated 18,000 m, but I don't have enough info to
fill in any more of your gaps (except for maybe in a Russian text that I
can't read...)

Just a final thought: you suggest that rocket-powered interceptor
development halted because jets offered more promise. Whilst this is, of
course, true, it's worth considering that rocket fighters were only ever
developed for the point-defence role, not as fighter planes in the
conventional sense. Really, the rocket fighters weren't made obsolete by
the jets - they were made obsolete by the SAM...


Best regards,

Ruediger Landmann