I had to laugh at the Me163 impeller. Back in the '70's i had a family visit to the IWM and my Dad confidently told me exactly the same thing....
That teacher should have herself been escorted by someone in the know!
I was with a group walking around the Imperial War Museum in the early seventies, before part of it moved to Duxford.
As we loitered around the Me163, one of them remarked that the tiny impellor on the nose (which actually drove an electric generator to back up the limited battery for the radio, Revi gunsight, cannon circuits and several other things) was an emergency propeller which powered the aircraft when the rocket fuel ran out.
I didn't even bother.
That teacher should have herself been escorted by someone in the know!
I was with a group walking around the Imperial War Museum in the early seventies, before part of it moved to Duxford.
As we loitered around the Me163, one of them remarked that the tiny impellor on the nose (which actually drove an electric generator to back up the limited battery for the radio, Revi gunsight, cannon circuits and several other things) was an emergency propeller which powered the aircraft when the rocket fuel ran out.
I didn't even bother.