The Messerschmitt Bf 163 was an STOL aircraft designed by BFW and built by Weser Flugzeugbau before World War II.

The requirement stipulated the use of the Argus As 10 or the Hirth HM 508 engine and placed emphasis on short field performance, maximum possible allround view for the two crew members, and a wide range of speed.

It was intended that the resultant aircraft, which the Siebel Si 201 was also designed to compete for, would be evaluated in competition with the Fi 156.

Construction of the sole prototype was entrusted to Weserflug, though due to its origin with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke before mid-July 1938, it retained the Bf RLM prefix for the earlier firm.

First flown on 19 February 1938 and powered by the Argus As 10C, the Bf 163 V1 proved to have similar performance characteristics to those of the Fi 156 but was more complex and expensive.