A Photographic Examination of the Me 163Bs sent to the USA

[Karoband]

no photograph

70. Baugher, Franks and Butler all mention Me 163Bs in the U.S.A. designated "FE502/T2-502" and "FE503/T2-503". While this is not scientific evidence, in my opinion, Americans love their cameras. The large number of photos of "White 54", "191301" and "White 42" taken in America substantiates that statement. For me, the lack of photos of the other two Komets leads me to the conclusion that they were never uncrated and reassembled. T2-502 was documented 17 May 1946 as being at Freeman Field and on 25 September 1946 to be "scrapped for spare parts", Franks, p. 19, and Butler, p.239.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1981

71. The origin and fate of "T2-503" is so far undocumented. In 1946, the Bell Aircraft Corporation of Buffalo, New York, was developing a rocket-powered aircraft, the XS-1, which was expected to surpass the speed of sound. Their chief test pilot was Jack Woolams, seen here with the second prototype. Woolams made nine glider flights in the XS-1 between 25 January and 15 March 1946 being dropped from a specially modified B-29. Bell Aircraft was very slow and meticulous in the testing and modification and the first powered flight was not scheduled until October 1946. Woolams would have wanted actual experience of powered rocket flight before then. Unfortunately, the delamination of the wings of "T2-500" at Muroc made that more difficult. Both Franks, p. 19, and Butler, p. 229, refer to documentation that on 1 August 1946, "T2-503" was to be made serviceable "pending transfer to the Bell Aircraft Corporation".
In testing the souped-up Bell P-39Q on 30 August 1946 in preparation for the National Air races in Cleveland the next day, Woolams was killed when he crashed into Lake Ontario. Butler reports: "it is probable that the Bell test programme of the Me 163 was cancelled. There is no further record of this Me 163."

On p. 239, Butler makes reference to a "W.Nr. 191190" being one of the Me 163s in the U.S.A.


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1982

72. Finally, this is my speculation to date of the identities of the Me 163Bs on the trucks at Merseburg.