Armament was to comprise 2 x 30mm MK 108 hard-hitting automatic cannons, these very capable in bringing down the large Allied bombers laying waste to German war-making facilities and infrastructure.
On September 25th of 1944, the aircraft was displayed to RLM officials in wooden mockup form and another review took place in December of that year. Before the end of the year, the original Ju 248 designation was succeeded by the revised Me 263 "Scholle" (Plaice) designation - despite Junkers still heading design and development of the project. Me 263 V1 was to serve as the first-of-three prototypes during development (V1, V2 and V3).
With so much working against Germany heading into 1945, leadership was mixed on the potential benefits of the Me 263 program with some championing the effort and others calling for its cancellation. Nevertheless, an unpowered first-flight was had by V1 in February of that year as it was towed into the skies. The aircraft lacked its engine and armament and its tricycle undercarriage was of basic form, fixed in place for simplicity. Overall, the design proved sound though counterbalancing was forced when the aircraft proved to have inherent center-of-gravity-issues.
Testing was then disrupted due to lack of fuel for the tow planes and, it was found in post-construction, V1 and V2's fuselages were ill-equipped to take on the intended HWK 509C rocket motor. This forced a lengthening of the fuselage as a result. V1, V2 and V3 were all progressing at different points in the project when, in April 1944, Allied forces overran and confiscated the Me 263 work. V2 never received its completely retracting undercarriage and V3 was never to prove the cannon armament. Both V1 and V2 had just gotten their motors installed but neither were able to ignite these in testing. The Americans studied the Me 263 progress at length back in the states while the Soviets benefitted from dissection of one of the prototypes - this leading to development of the homegrown Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270 interceptor prototype of which two were built in the post-war period.
Performance estimates of the Me 263 V1 interceptor included an impressive maximum speed of 550 miles per hour, an operating service ceiling of 45,215 feet (necessitating the pressurized cockpit and oxygen supply for the pilot) and a excellent rate-of-climb of 29,500 feet-per-minute.
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