REICHENBERG RE III (FI-103)

A manned version of the V1 missile, Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg IV, intended for suicide attacks on Allied aircraft and selected targets. The suicide flight program was planned to be implemented at the end of the war in 1945. Officially, the German military authorities used the term "ramming", however, the possibility of getting the pilot out of the rocket was practically non-existent, due to the high speed and the fact that the cockpit cover was located just below the jet engine inlet, additionally tilting only 45 degrees, which made it impossible to quickly lower the rocket. cabin by the pilot and landing on a parachute. In total, 70 pilots were trained and 175 Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg IV machines were produced, but their practical application on the battlefield was never achieved. The Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg IV missile itself was almost identical to the Japanese Yokosuka MXY7 Okha, used by Japanese suicide pilots, with the difference that the Japanese pilot's cockpit was screwed down, preventing the missile from leaving during the flight, while the cockpit in the German missile gave a theoretical chance to escape, although in practice not feasible. Specifications: Length: 8m, wingspan: 5.72m, maximum speed: 800 km / h, maximum range: 330 km.