Ba 349 Natter

The Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a World‑War‑II German experimental interceptor designed by Erich Bachem’s firm in 1944. Intended to defend against Allied bomber streams, the rocket‑powered, vertically‑launched aircraft could climb to operational altitude within minutes and then glide back to a conventional landing. Its airframe was a compact, steel tube fuselage with a single seat, short wings and a tail‑less configuration that reduced weight. Propulsion came from a Walter HWK 109‑509 rocket engine, delivering about 1,500 kgf thrust, while two under‑wing solid‑fuel booster rockets provided the initial launch thrust. The Natter carried a single, forward‑firing R4M 55 mm air‑to‑air rocket mounted in the nose; after firing, the pilot would eject and the airframe would descend by parachute. Only a handful of prototypes were built; one crashed on the first manned flight on 1 March 1945, killing test pilot Pilotenführer Lothar Sieber. Despite its brief operational life, the Natter demonstrated the feasibility of vertical take‑off, rocket‑driven point‑defence fighters and influenced post‑war concepts such as the American X‑15 and modern space‑plane programs. Its daring design remains a symbol of late‑war German innovation today.

Erich Bachem

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