Comet Rider: Start Your Engines!

Pilots!

From April 8 at 11:20 UTC to April 29 at 11:20 UTC, a chain of 30 missions awaits you. For their completion, you'll receive a new aircraft— the German Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet Tier VIII fighter—and other valuable rewards!

The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was the world's first and only operational rocket-powered combat aircraft, and the first to break the 1000 km/h airspeed record. It was intended to serve as a point-defense interceptor and to counter heavy bomber raids on German cities and industry. This extremely fast and dynamic fighter was supposed to rapidly approach its target, flying at high altitude, and quickly destroy it with two high-caliber autocannons. In reality, the aircraft's speed made engagement time extremely short, with pilots having mere seconds to aim and fire at a bomber, while a very limited fuel load didn't allow for protracted engagements or multiple runs at a target. The Komet had other issues as well, particularly its extremely toxic fuel and instability at low altitude and low speed, which caused multiple incidents on takeoff and landing. The Me 163s managed to score several heavy bomber shootdowns in World War II, but the project was ultimately deemed a failure. The fighters were grounded, their duties passed to Me 262 regiments.

The Japanese Mitsubishi J8M Shusui is heavily based on the Me 163 design under a license agreement, but despite outward similarities, the two aircraft have major differences. As shipping a complete Me 163, several working engines, and even blueprints to Japan proved impossible, Japanese engineers were forced to reverse-engineer the fighter design from the operation manual and adapt it to local components, most notably the engines and armament.

While the Me 163B may seem like a twin of the J8M, which has been in World of Warplanes for several years, it is better in nearly every way. It is powered by the original Walter HWK 509 rocket engine, which provides much more thrust, making approaches to the target much faster. The Komet has a higher maximum speed, better acceleration both in cruise flight and while boosting, and significantly longer boost duration. Its MK-108 30-millimeter cannons have a shorter range than the Type 5s installed in its Japanese counterpart, but they compensate with longer salvo time and better accuracy. Overall, the original Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet can become a fun fighter for tactical flying. It is not the strongest in terms of firepower and not the most nimble of Tier VIII fighters, but its ability to rapidly engage and disengage makes for extremely dynamic battles (and extremely annoyed opponents).

Note: You may skip missions of the marathon by purchasing certificates in the Premium Shop. Only Tier IV–X aircraft can take part in the event.

You can find more details about the chain of missions on our official portal!

Keep completing marathon missions on your favorite warbirds to grab all the event's rewards! Don't have time to complete all the missions? Just visit the Premium Shop and purchase certificates to speed up the completion of the in-game event!