Me 163B drawings

Post-war drawings

If you are looking for Komet drawings for modeling, RC, flight simulation or CAD purposes, here are some sources, listed chronologically:

MAP Plans drawing # 2907, drawn by Ian Stair and published in the June 1970 issue of Scale Models, can still be ordered. I believe there are several sellers currently. Do a search on 'MAP Plans' to find out who currently sells them. "Taubman Plans Service International", 11 College Dr., #4G, Jersey City, NJ 07305, phone 201-435-5205 was reported as one seller, Bob Holman Plans probably sells them too.
Reko Maßstab-Blatt 85 by Modellbau Rettkowsky (Germany) has 1/72 drawings of the Me 163A and B
Aero Detail No. 10: Messerschmitt Me 163 & Heinkel He 162 contains fine drawings, that are basically identical to those published earlier in Koku-Fan October 1982
The AJ Press Komet book (also the Polish-language version) contain an extensive set of line drawings
The Classic Publications Komet books from 2002 and 2003 contain Me 163A drawings (Volume 1), and Me 163B/S/D/Me 263 drawings (Volume 2), all drawn by A.L. Bentley. These drawings can be obtained separately at the A.L. Bentley website. This page shows all available drawings.
If you are planning to build an RC model from plans, see the RC models page, which includes a number of drawings that can be ordered.

Note that I will not send out scans of drawings, please don't ask for them.

Messerschmitt factory drawings

Original wartime Messerschmitt factory drawings have been found in both the NASM archive and the Deutsches Museum archive. Only small numbers have been located so far. Mr Kurz had a set of 2500 drawings when he built his replica Komet.

The NASM has a 220 (or 249) page index, listing 1981 component drawings (cost $55.00). The cost of ordering all these drawings was quoted as 2,078 US$ (excluding shipping). The NASM also has microfilms that are supposedly full of Komet drawings. They also contain many drawings from other aircraft. Judging from the drawing numbering codes "8-190-###" and "8-152-###", they show components of the FW 190 and Ta 152 fighters.

The table below shows the Messerschmitt drawings found so far (with a special thanks to Stephen Endersby for a large part of the typing work). Drawings with a double end-number usually show the left-hand component, with the right-hand component being the mirror-image of it.

Drawing Number			Description	Translation	Date	Comments & notes
Primary	Secondary	Tertiary

8-163.110-006			Fußboden	Floor #	?
8-163.112			Obere mittlere Schale	Upper Centre Shell #	?
8-163.115			Obere mittlere Schale	Upper Centre Shell #	?
8-163.116			Rumpfverkleidungsbleche vorn	Fuselage fairings front	?
8-163.116-005/006			Mittelstück oben links/rechts	Center piece upper left/right	?
8-163.116-007/008			Mittelstück unten links/rechts	Centre piece below left/right #	?
8-163.121			Druckkabinenhaube	Pressure cabin canopy	?
8-163.140			Rumpfeinbauten	Installation in the Fuselage #	?
8-163.150			Rumpfschale vorn	Fuselage shell front	?
8-163.150-001	Blattzahl 5		Untere Rumpfha*********	Lower fuselage ****	?	Drawing title not completely readable. The drawing shows the lower fuselage below the fuselage axis, from Spant 450 to Spant 3600
8-163.150-002 ?			Vordere Oberschale	Front upper shell	?	Drawing title and number not completely readable
8-163.151-001	Blattzahl 4	Bl. 1	Obere u. untere Halbschale	Upper and lower half shells	?	Shows rear fuselage from Spant 3600 to the end of the fuselage

8-163.210-001	?	?	Kufe	Skid	?
-163.215-001			Rollwerksträger	Landing gear axle	?
8-163.242-003			Rollwerkverklinkung	Landing gear release mechanism	?
8-163.246-001			Rollwerksträger	Landing gear axle	?

8-163.304/305	Blattzahl 3	Blatt 1	Querruder	Aileron	?	305 is the mirror image of 304
8-163.306/307	Blattzahl 2	Blatt 1	Trimmklappe	Trim flap	?	307 is the mirror image of 306
8-163.310	Blattz. 5	Bl. 1	Seitenflosse	Vertical fin #	?	Doesn't have the antenna in the leading edge, plus the access hatch
8-163.311/312			Linkes / Rechtes Querruder	Left / right aileron	?	312 is the mirror image of 311
8-163.313/314			Trimmklappe	Trim flap	?	314 is the mirror image of 313
8-163.317	Blattzahl: 2	Blatt 1	Seitenflosse	Vertical fin #	?
8.163.324	Blattzahl 2	Blatt 1	Seitenruder	Rudder	?	Shows a taller rudder (roughly 200 mm), possibly an Me 163C part (see for example 'Ein Dreieck fliegt', page 89)
8-163.330/331			Linkes / Rechtes Querruder	Left / right aileron #	?
8-163.335/336	Blattzahl 2	Blatt 1	Landeklappe	Landing flap	?	Poor quality reproduction

8-163.404/405	Btz. 2	Blatt 1	Landeklappenantrieb	Landing flap propulsion #	?	'Landing flap mechanism' would be a better translation
8-163.408/409			Trimmklappensteuerleitung im Flügel	Control guide of the elevator trimming flap in the wing #	?	409 is the mirror image of 408
8-163.411-001H001			Steuerknüppel	Control stick	?
8-163.411-001			Steuerknüppellagerung	Bearing for the control stick #	?
8-163.432/433		Blatt **	Handsteuerleitung i. Flügel	Aileron control system in the wing	?	433 is the mirror image of 432
8-163.434/437	Bz 2	(Bl.1)	Handsteuerleilung im Flügel	Aileron control system in the wing	?	437 is the mirror image of 434 (strange numbering)
8-163.438/439		Blatt 1	Landeklappen******		?	Drawing title not completely readable. Drawing shows flap control system in the wing.
8-163.444/445	Blattzahl 2	Bl.1	- (missing)	Landing Flap Shift Gear #	?	German drawing name not on copy. Drawing shows flap control system in the wing.
8-163.444/445		Bl.2	Landeklappen*****	Shift gear of the landing gear flap #	?	Drawing name not completely readable. Drawing shows flap control system in the wing.
8-163.447/448		Bl.1	Landeklappenantrieb im Flügel	Gear shift of the landing system in the wing # (strange translation)	?	448 is the mirror image of 447. Drawing shows flap control system in the wing.
8-163.460			Fußsteuerleitung im Rumpf	Rudder control system in the fuselage	?

8-163.500/501	Blattzahl 5	Blatt 2	Tragflügel	Wing	?	501 is the mirror image of 500.
8-163.502/503			Lose Teile im Flügel	Various parts in the wing	?	503 is the mirror image of 502.
8-163.510/520		Blatt 2	Tragflügel		?
8-163.513/514		Blatt 27	Tragflügel		?
8-163.620			Tw.-Bedienanlage		?
8-163.702			Behälteranlage im Rumpf		?	Mintec ref : R3553 (?) F 487
8-163.703			T-Stoffbehälter im Rumpf		?
8-163.712/722			M-Stoffbehälter, linker Flügel / rechter Flügel		?
8-163.713/725/723/725			C-Stoffbehälter im Flügel		?
8-163.731			Tr.-Bedienanlage		?
8-163.733			Gestänge für Haupt und Zusatzbetätigung		?
8-163.733-006			Gashebelkasten		?

8-163.800			Starre Bewaffnung 2 MG 151		?
8-163.802/801			Starre Bewaffnung orm Tragflügel rechts/links		?
8-163.803/804			Einbau RZ65 *** Tragwerk lks. v. r.		?	Drawing title difficult to read
8-163.807			Starre Bewaffnung 2 MK 108		?
8-163.809-01*			BSK 16 Einbau		?	Drawing number difficult to read
8-163.809-013			Revi 16D Einbau		?
8-163.810-013			Revi 16D Einbau		?

8-163.900	Blattzahl 6	Bl. 1	Elt. Anlage im Rumpfvorderteil		?
8-163.900	Blattzahl *	Bl. 2	Elt. Anlage im Rumpfvorderteil		?	Secondary drawing number difficult to read
8-163.900		Bl. 4	Elt. Anlage im Rumpfvorderteil		?
8-163.900		Bl. 5	Elt. Anlage im Rumpfvorderteil		?
8-163.900		Blatt 6	Elt. Anlage im Rumpfvorderteil		?
8-163.906-Z002			Höhenatmer-Anläge		?
8-163.906-Z011			Gerätebrett		?
8-163.910			FT Anlage im Flügel links		?
A17928Z			Seitenruder	Rudder	?	Note on drawing: "Deckblatt zu Me163.320 Seitenrudder" which translates as "cover sheet for Me163.320 Rudder"
The following drawings were listed by the NASM, but their number don't fit the format used above well. Likely '8-163.320-001.005' means sheet 1 of 5 of drawing 8-163.320, but what means '8-163.320-001.002/003'? Also, how can 8-163.320 cover both the spar and the ribs? Until this is cleared, these drawings are listed separately.
8-163.320-001.001			Holm	Spar#	02/07/42	NASM location code 0601
8-163.320-001.002/003			Nasenrippe	Nose Rib#	02/10/42	NASM location code 0601
8-163.320-001.005			Rippe 1	Rib 1#	02/10/42	NASM location code 0601
8-163.320-001.016			Rippe 4a	Rib 4a#	06/08/42	NASM location code 0601
8-163.523-037 8-163.524-037			Rippe 17 Mittelstück	Rib 17 Middle Piece#	08/10/44	NASM location code 0901
8-163.00-9525 (3)			Überlaufbehalter	Overflow Container#	-	NASM location code 0102

# translation as noted on the drawing by American (?) translator

Deutsches Museum archives

Mr. Fuessl of the Deutsches Museum kindly provided an overview of folders or document groups that contain Komet-related material. It contains factory correspondence, technical reports and part lists. Apparently no technical drawings of the Komet are included in this listing, but the archive does contain them. Possibly they are not indexed (yet). Apart from this list, the museum's archive contains very extensive technical documentation (about 45 meters) of the 'Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde' with photographs, correspondence, manuscripts and technical drawings. If you plan to search the archive, please let me know so I can update this listing.

LR 00968 Flugmotoren Hersteller S - Z: Sachs s. Fichtel & Sachs, Schlegel, Schliha, Schneeweis, Seld, Solo, Stahlwerk Mark, Stark, Varel, VW, Walter (u.a. HWK-509 / 109-509 für Me-163), Wankel, Wimmer, Zoche, Zündapp 4.1.1. D
LR 02729 Junkers Me-163 Korrespondenz, Statik
LR 02730 Junkers Me-163 "Scholle"
LR 02908 Messerschmitt: Survey of Messerschmitt-Factory and Functions, Oberammergau. Prepared under the Direction of Robert J. Wood, Bell Aircraft Corporation. Technical Representative on Duty with A-2 HQ USSTAF. Air Technical Intelligence (?), Report No. P-IR-6-RE, 1 August 1946. Headquarters Air Materiel Command, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. (u.a. Me-262, Me-163, Me-264, Me-321, Me-323)
LR 02957 Messerschmitt Me-115, Me-141 (siehe Me P-141), Me-155 (siehe auch: Blohm &Voss BV-155), Me-161, Me-162, Me-163 (siehe auch: Junkers Ju-248, Ju-260)
LR 02961 Junkers: Messerschmitt Me-163 Scholle, Reiseberichte, Entwicklungsbesprechungen
LR 02962 Junkers: Messerschmitt Me-163 Prüfberichte, Prüfanweisungen
LR 02963 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163-B Flugzeug-Handbuch Teil 0, 9G. Beladevorschrift, Gewichte, Festigkeit, Allgemeine Geräteliste, Fertigungs-Planung
LR 02964 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163-B Festigkeitsversuche an Schubplatten, Startuntersuchungen
LR 02965 Messerschmitt Me-163-A, Me-163-B, Me-163-C Berichte, Zeichnungen
LR 02966 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163-B Leistungsberechnung
LR 02967 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163-B Festigkeitsversuche mit Rumpf und Flügel u.a. Reg.Nr. 163.02.04 Hubert: Me 163 B. Vergleich von Modellmessungen in verschiedenen Windkanälen Messerschmitt-AG Augsburg Abt. "L". Januar 1943, 9 Bl.; Reg.Nr. 163.13.05/1 Bihsed: Me 163 B. Vers. mit Rumpf und Flügel: Bauzustand, Verstärkungen, Vers. Durchführung/Statische Abteilung. Bericht Nr. 1111, Teil II. 26.10.1944 (ca. 60 S.)
LR 02968 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163 Aerodynamik, Windkanalmessungen
LR 02969 Schuber: Messerschmitt Me-163-B Tragwerk, Versuchsberichte mit Holmstücken 1944
LR 04853 Museen Deutsches Museum: übergabe Messerschmitt Me-163, Flugmotore, Flug in der Tierwelt, Abteilung Luftfahrt, Segelflugstartwinde, Schwingenflieger, Hubschrauber, Segelflugzeug Vampyr, Professor Henrich Focke
LR 08586 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.310 - 163.321
LR 08587 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.215 - 163.307
LR 08588 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.151 - 163.214
LR 08589 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.117 - 163.150
LR 08590 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.111 - 163.116
LR 08591 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.106 - 163.110
LR 08592 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.101 - 163.105
LR 08593 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.100
LR 08594 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.550 - 163.561, 163.610 - 163.630
LR 08595 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.523 - 163.529
LR 08725 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.500 - 163.501
LR 08726 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.413 - 163.462
LR 08727 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.323 - 163.412
LR 08728 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.514 - 163.520
LR 08729 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.511 - 163.513
LR 08730 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.502 - 163.510
LR 08731 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.800 - 163.870
LR 08732 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.700 - 163.733
LR 08733 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.520.040 - 163.523.054
LR 08734 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.925 - 163.939
LR 08735 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 163.910 - 163.923
LR 08736 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Stückliste 163.900 - 163.909
LR 08765 Messerschmitt AG: Me-163 Nr. 163940 - 163993

Drawings systems

Some additional insights into drawings systems by Mark Williams:

If this list would be complete, one would observe many 'doubles', like different vertical tail designs. To fully understand which parts are applicable to a certain production Komet, one would also need the 'master drawing list' (MDL) or 'drawing tree' or top drawing. This is a document showing all drawing numbers used for a particular production batch. It is not know yet what the German equivalent of a 'drawing tree' is, and none appears to have been located so far. But that could also be because they just look like a boring list of numbers.
The next step would be to look at the component drawing and its 'Revision Block' to tell you when it was initially released, revision dates and sometimes why it was revised. Sometimes, the drawing will show 'effectivity' to specific tail numbers. The best record for a given Komet would be its production records that followed it down the line but they are all most certainly lost.
To complicate things further, it has to be remarked that drawings only reflect how the aircraft was supposed to be built, as specified by the engineering department. This is not necessarily what was actually built by the manufacturing department, which were under the greatest pressure to deliver. The manufacturing department would probably come up with many ways to deviate from the drawings in order to get the planes delivered. They probably had the ability to deviate by: (1) parts substitutions, (2) manufacturing processes, (3) materials, and (4) configurations that have been changed to help production, or (5) the continued production of an earlier configuration (or parts of) while waiting for the set-up of tooling for the new configuration.
It will be very hard to resolve differences observed in photos, text and the surviving Komets even if you have a data-plate. It gets really problematic if one throws in the possibility that the surviving Komets might have been pieced together from other Komets.

Digitally restored Walter drawings

The 48 German Aircraft Blueprint Archive sells set of nineteen A3 size prints as 'HWK Motor Bauzeichnungen Aussgabe 1' / 'HWK Motor Blueprints Volume 1'. They are digitally restored original Walter motor drawings, and the set will be expanded slowly, time permitting.

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