Opel RAK.1

what is it?

The Opel RAK.1 (also known as the Opel RAK.3) was the world's first purpose-built rocket-powered aircraft. It was designed and built by Julius Hatry under commission from Fritz von Opel, who flew it on September 30, 1929 in front of a large crowd at Rebstock airport near Frankfurt am Main. The RAK.1 plane was part of a series of rocket-powered vehicles that were developed and demonstrated within the Opel RAK program, the world's first large-scale rocket program.

🔎How to recognise it: 16 rocket engines · 11 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 150 km/htop speed
• size 350 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🚗Wingspan of 11 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

rocket: Rocket propulsion: very fast, very short flights.

spec sheet

first flight

—

number built

—

makers

Opel

engines

16× Sander

crew

1

length

5.4 m

wingspan

11 m

height

2 m

max take-off weight

350 kg

top speed

150 km/h

range

—

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.