Alright alright here's the scoop. It's a still shot from the 1950 Humphrey Bogart movie Chain Lightening. No, I never heard of it either. This is what unraveled the mystery. It appears to be a B-17E or F model, with the solid nose cone and painted in OD green. By the time the Komets were introduced in May 1944, most if not all E and F models were no longer flying, or had received the modifications (chin turrets) of the newer G model that were rolling of the assembly lines. Also by then B-17s were delivered in a polished aluminum finish and not painted. Paint is much heavier and causes a bit of drag. I'm not terribly familiar with the tactics of the Komet except that it shot up in the air, then made it's run at the bombers on the way down, then glided to a stop on the runway. I figure that they'd not head for the bomber formation on the way up as to not catch the eye of gunners and escorting fighters. So there y'all have it.
I watched the "other" film that specific Me-163 was in...American gun camera film. Fun fact - co-writer of "Chain Lightning" was Vincent "Vince" Evans, better known as B-17 Memphis Belle's & B-29 Dauntless Dottie's bombardier.
Doesn't sound like too lame of a movie. Chain Lightning (1950) - IMDb Chain Lightning (1950 film) - Wikipedia
Just curious. Are those flak smoke bursts? It would make sense to make the movie look more serious. Then add an engine or two stop. Oops.
Other than Other than what I've read about the movie and what I saw in that pic is all that I know about it. Takao saw the Komet used in the pic as taken from gun camera footage so he might be able to shed some light on the matter.
