Opel-RAK

Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by German automobile manufacturer Fritz von Opel,[1] of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts.[2] The Lippisch Ente (meaning “duck” in German) a rocket-powered glider was produced on June 11, 1928,[3] piloted by Fritz Stamer at Wasserkuppe,[4] but is not usually considered part of the series.

  • Opel RAK.1 - a rocket car that achieved 75 km/h (47 mph) on March 15, 1928[5]
  • Opel RAK.2 - rocket car May 23, 1928 reached a speed of 230 km/h (143 mph) driven by 24 solid-fuel rockets[5]
  • Opel RAK.3 rocket rail vehicle (quoted speed is variously 254 or 290 km/h.[6][7][8][9][2]) On the second run the vehicle jumps the track and is destroyed.
  • Opel Rak IV rocket rail vehicle, destroyed when a solid rocket explodes on the track, exploding all the other rockets. Railway authorities prohibit further runs.[9]
  • Opel RAK.1 rocket glider September 30, 1929
Rak.3 rocket train during burn
Opel-RAK
Rocket rail vehicle Opel-Sander Rak.3 in June 1928
Country of originGerman
DesignerFritz von Opel
rocket vehicles
Rocket installation. On the right Fritz von Opel, the left Friedrich Wilhelm Sander.

In 1928, Fritz von Opel tested his Opel-Rak 1, a converted racing car equipped with Sander rockets instead of an internal combustion engine, was the first rocket powered automobile.[10] On May 23, 1928, Opel himself demonstrated the car, Opel Rak II, on the Avus Speedway near Berlin.[11] Opel RAK 3, built in Germany in the 1920s and campaigned by Opel and Max Valier.[12]

Film footage

The 1937 German film Weltraum Schiff I Startet Eine Technische Fantasie has short clips of various RAK vehicles: 11 seconds at 436 feet (approximately 04:47) igniters being wired to the Rak.2 car; 2 seconds at 447 feet (approximately 04:58) Max Valier seated in a RAK.2 car labeled "RÜCKSTOSS VERSUCHS WAGEN"; 2 seconds at 451 feet (approximately 05:00) Fritz von Opel seated in a RAK.2 car; 11 seconds at 460 feet (approximately 05:06) Fritz Von Opel drives the RAK.2 car on 1928 May 23 at the Avus Track in Berlin; 2 seconds at 472 feet (05:14) Sander-Opel RAK.3 rocket car on 1928 June 23 running on railway tracks; 19 seconds at 475 feet (05:16 to 05:35) Opel-Sander RAK.1 rocket glider in 1928 September, preparation and launch; 6 seconds at 536 feet (05:57 to 06:03) Max Valier sitting and talking in a RAK.6 car.[13]

References
  1. Keith Lovegrove (2004). Railroad. Laurence King Publishing. pp. 59–. ISBN 978-1-85669-407-0.
  2. Darling, David. "Opel-RAK". www.daviddarling.info.
  3. Amy Shira Teitel (22 October 2015). Breaking the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight before NASA. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 12–. ISBN 978-1-4729-1119-3.
  4. David Masters (1982). German Jet Genesis. Jane's.
  5. "OPEL ROCKET VEHICLES".
  6. "Lux's type collection - High Speed Trains - record runs". www.boris-lux.de.
  7. "Historie". web.archive.org. August 14, 2007.
  8. "Valier". web.archive.org. January 15, 2006.
  9. "Encyclopedia Astronautica Index: 1". www.astronautix.com.
  10. The V2 and the German, Russian and American Rocket Program. German Canadian Museum of. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-894643-05-4.
  11. Willy Ley (1961). Rockets, missiles, and space travel. Viking Press.
  12. Cole Coonce (2002). Infinity Over Zero: Meditations on Maximum Velocity. Kerosene Bomb Publishing. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-0-9719977-0-7.
  13. Kutter, Anton (1937). "Space Ship Takeoff, a Technical Fantasy (1928)". Bavaria Film Kunst. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
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