The Klima Me-163 rocket glider kit: a mini review

Last fall, my flying buddy Richard Ng any and I ordered a couple of Klima Me-163 kits from a European distributor that actually had pretty reasonable overseas shipping.

I have a tough time resisting the Komet in any form. I have two of the old foam electric ACT kits and I have one each of both the old and new Hobbyking Me-163 ARFs

The Klima kit is a modification of the Hacker Me-163 kit that is available both as an assembled and painted electric tractor ARF and as a kit.

https://www.hacker-motor-shop.com/e-vendo.php?shop=hacker_e&a=catalog&t=9&c=7767&p=7767

I heard somewhere that this Klima kit has been discontinued. I have not yet confirmed that rumor.

Klima takes this basic model and deletes the plastic cowl for the electric motor and supplies a nicely molded foam nose section instead. The other significant mod from the electric kit is that they hollow out an area at the rear of the model for a one part light weight aluminum 18mm motor mount. The kit is completed with a nice set of full color instructions.

This kit is a very nice looking rendition of the Komet, nicely molded in the EPO type of foam that has better crush resistance than EPS and is compatible with normal CA. (Foam safe CA not required)

Unsurprisingly, this Komet RC RG is intended for the Klima 18mm D3 that is not available here in the US. I have some other options in mind.

Here are the factory pics of the completed model and of the parts layout.

Here is my picture of the kit parts and the assembled fuse parts, the results of about 20-30 minutes of assembly.

Impressions: a really nice looking Komet model, very well molded from high quality tooling. The kit arrives in a large plastic bag without any padding of the parts. Mine arrived with a couple of minor dents and dings that will be easy to put right with some light weight spackle.

Last weekend I decided to start assembling the model. It takes longer to type what was done than to actually do it, due to the parts that fit very well. I used Foamtac type clear glue for most assembly so far.

A few moments work gad the fuse halves glued and taped together. A few more moments had the molded plastic main skid and tail skid in place, glued and taped.

Klima has the modeler trim away the flange on the nose that was designed for use with the molded plastic cowl for the electric version. They supply a nicely shaped molded EPO nose that permanently replaces the cowl (that does not come with the rocket version of the kit ). I did this while the fuse was drying, sanded the nose area a bit and glued on the nose, also securing it with tape.

Next up was the aluminum 18mm motor mount. This is a unique item that was pressed in one piece from a sheet of soft aluminum alloy, using a die and a rod. Sanded the exterior lightly and installed it in the fuse with more Foamtac.

Next up was the vertical tail. Easy to add some Foamtac to the tail socket on the fuse and then install the vertical.

The last part for now was to join the two halves of the canopy hatch assembly.

With everything taped so it could not move, these assemblies were put aside to dry. The pictures are after tape removal.

While the fuse was drying, I did some work on the wing. First up is the installation of the hollow square carbon rod wing spar. It was sanded enough to rough up the surface and installed with Foamtac.

The kit has two very small white fiberglass rods that are about 1/32 or 3/64" in diameter that are used to reinforce the wing, about 1/2" behind the wing LE on the bottom surface. A slot that is 2-3 time deeper that the thickness of the rod is molded into the wing. I sanded these small rods and inserted them to the bottom of the slot, using a small flat blade screwdriver. These were secured using some thin CA (the normal type), wicked into the slot.

Worth taking a look at the wing during the spar gluing operations to make sure the wing is straight before gluing the spars in. My wing molding had a faint bow to it that I was able to remove as the spars were installed.

I picked out two Turnigy 1440 series 4.4 gram servos from my stash that were a perfect fit in the molded servo cavities in the wing. These were tested and then lightly sanded on the bonding surfaces and installed with the Foamtac.

Lastly for now, the stock supplied control horns were added to the elevons.

Very interesting thread. the Komit is a interesting rocket plane. just would not want to land one. more pilots died when they exploded on landing with voliral fuel left them being shot down.

Here are some pictures of the model with the wing slid into the fuse and the canopy hatch in place.

Holding at this stage for now for a couple of modifications.

1. Adding a wire run through the fuse to the bottom of the motor mount for on board ignition. Connection will be a red JST type plug wired to a small brushed speed control.
2. Adding a servo operated release at the top of the front of the main skid that will use another 4.4 gram servo. This will serve in two ways: the model can then be towed from another RC model with a towline.
Alternatively, this same release will also be used to release the Komet from an interesting booster rocket that I have in mind for it.

This release will give me a total of four ways to fly the Komet:

1. Normal ground launch from a rack with a single use D10.
2. A piggy back launch from a RC model with a piggyback rack. Release from the mothership, get in a stable glide and hit the ignition switch. This would work with Estes C6 and the AT D2.3 motors as well as the occasional singe use D10.
3. Air tow from any suitable RC model. Release using the servo release, clear the other model and air start.
4. Attached to a booster. After booster burnout and coast, release the Komet before booster ejection, achieve a stable glide and air start. Thinking about a BT60 booster with a 29mm motor mount, likely using an RMS G25.

The booster is going to be a little unusual....

bob jablonski said:

Very interesting thread. the Komit is a interesting rocket plane. just would not want to land one. more pilots died when they exploded on landing with voliral fuel left them being shot down.

Click to expand...

The Komet was not quite as bad to land when operated at lower weights as a pure glider. The models I have all land just fine...

Years back, a gentleman in Germany did a homebuilt lightweight version of the Komet to fly as a sailplane. He flew it for years without incident and it was eventually purchased by an aerospace company, EADS, to exhibit at airshows and in their museum.

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/me163/kurz.htm

What is the gross weight of this Komet? Personally, if it weighs less than 6oz or so, I wouldn't fly it on anything but the D2.3. Might hold up to a D10, but I would do that after some trim flights on smaller or lower thrust motors.

TheAviator said:

What is the gross weight of this Komet? Personally, if it weighs less than 6oz or so, I wouldn't fly it on anything but the D2.3. Might hold up to a D10, but I would do that after some trim flights on smaller or lower thrust motors.

Click to expand...

Advertised flying weight is a little over 10oz, so the D10 is not as extreme a choice as you might think for a launch from the ground per the NAR RC RG safety code. Going to take some ballast to have a boost-able CG with any 18mm motor.

Videos of the model being flown on the D3 in Europe show the model taking off a launch ramp at a notably shallower angle than is legal here per NAR.

tab28682 said:

Advertised flying weight is a little over 10oz, so the D10 is not as extreme a choice as you might think for a launch from the ground per the NAR RC RG safety code. Going to take some ballast to have a boost-able CG with any 18mm motor.

Videos of the model being flown on the D3 in Europe show the model taking off a launch ramp at a notably shallower angle than is legal here per NAR.

Click to expand...

Ah. A D2.3 wouldn't even have a 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio. At 10oz, an E6 would probably be an excellent choice, but wouldn't fit.

I wonder how it would do on RMS-18/20 D2.3

Ari.

Could be a candidate for a bungie/airstart with the D2.3.

kj

kjohnson said:

Could be a candidate for a bungie/airstart with the D2.3.

kj

Click to expand...

Yep. The D2.3 motor is on the list for any non vertical launch, per post number 5.
Not as interested in a bungee launch as I am in a piggyback launch or an air tow.

Hmm.
I gotta get me one of these.



[video=youtube;9ho0_TkwWU4]https://www.youtu.be/9ho0_TkwWU4[/video]

https://youtu.be/9ho0_TkwWU4

The red Me 163 Komet is a fairly well known one from WWII. Pilot was one Wolgang Tische(?) if memory serves.

There have been several full size replicas built in recent years.

Looking forward to see how it flies. I've reworked one of my intr/ceptors to 5 ounces and am waiting on my d2.3s to try out, even at 5 ounces I think it might be sluggish...

Frank

Interesting build Tom, can't wait to hear about the flights.

Me too!


Richard

tab28682 said:

...
I heard somewhere that this Klima kit has been discontinued. I have not yet confirmed that rumor.
...

Click to expand...

This is absolutely NOT true!

So bump.... I still see this glider is for sale online

@tab28682 Did you ever finish the kit and has it been flown?

I'm preparing to build mine.