During 1937, work on what would become the Me 163 commenced,LePage 2009, p. 243. the initial work was conducted under the aegis of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS)—the German Institute for the study of sailplane flight. Their first design was a conversion of the earlier Lippisch Delta IV known as the DFS 39 and used purely as a glider testbed of the airframe. A larger follow-on version with a small propeller engine started as the DFS 194. This version used wingtip-mounted rudders that Lippisch felt would cause problems at high speed. Lippisch changed the system of vertical stabilization for the DFS 194's airframe from the earlier DFS 39's wingtip rudders, to a conventional vertical stabilizer at the rear of the aircraft. The design included a number of features from its origins as a glider, notably a skid used for landings, which could be retracted into the aircraft's keel in flight. For takeoff, a pair of wheels, each mounted onto the ends of a specially designed cross-axle, were needed due to the weight of the fuel, but the wheels, forming a takeoff dolly under the landing skid, were released shortly after takeoff.Donald 2000, p. 226.LePage 2009, p. 248.
During 1937 work on what would become the Me 163 commencedLePage 2009 p 243 the initial work was conducted under the aegis of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS)—the German Institute for the study of sailplane flight Their first design was a conversion of the earlier Lippisch Delta IV known as the DFS 39 and used purely as a glider testbed of the airframe A larger follow-on version with a small propeller engine started as the DFS 194 This version used wingtip-mounted rudders that Lippisch felt would cause problems at high speed Lippisch changed the system of vertical stabilization for the DFS 194's airframe from the earlier DFS 39's wingtip rudders to a conventional vertical stabilizer at the rear of the aircraft The design included a number of features from its origins as a glider notably a skid used for landings which could be retracted into the aircraft's keel in flight For takeoff a pair of wheels each mounted onto the ends of a specially designed cross-axle were needed due to the weight of the fuel but the wheels forming a takeoff dolly under the landing skid were released shortly after takeoffDonald 2000 p 226LePage 2009 p 248