In the early 1940s, Erich Bachem, Fieseler Aircraft's technical manager, developed two designs for a rocket-launched fighter that could reach high altitudes quicker than conventional fighters.
It would be launched upright by liquid-fuel rockets.
After attaining an altitude of 3660 meters, the rocket would burn out, disconnect and return to Earth via parachute for re-use.
The fighter would then engage Allied bombers before landing as a conventional airplane.
[citation needed] Note: Official RLM designations had the prefix "8-", but this was usually dropped and replaced with the manufacturer's prefix.