{"id":25476911,"date":"2026-09-29T10:54:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/opel-rak1-rocket-plane-fritz-von-opel-1929-frankfurt\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:55:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:55:04","slug":"opel-rak1-rocket-plane-fritz-von-opel-1929-frankfurt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/opel-rak1-rocket-plane-fritz-von-opel-1929-frankfurt\/","title":{"rendered":"Opel RAK.1: The 1929 Rocket Plane That Flew Before the Jet Age"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n<p>Ninety-seven years ago this week, on the afternoon of 30 September 1929, a German car heir strapped himself into a pod under a glider wing, alongside sixteen gunpowder rockets, lit them and shot into the sky over Frankfurt. Fritz von Opel stayed up for about 75 seconds. It was the first public flight of a purpose-built rocket aircraft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The Opel RAK.1 was part of the world's first large-scale rocket programme, dreamed up by a car company for publicity and pushed by men who wanted to reach space. It ended with a broken landing skid, a very lucky pilot and headlines around the world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6fa;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.75\"><li><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Opel RAK.1 (also called Opel-Sander RAK.1 or RAK.3), designed and built by Julius Hatry<\/li><li><strong>First public flight:<\/strong> 30 September 1929, Rebstock airfield, Frankfurt am Main<\/li><li><strong>Pilot:<\/strong> Fritz von Opel<\/li><li><strong>Power:<\/strong> 16 Sander black-powder solid rockets<\/li><li><strong>Flight:<\/strong> About 75 seconds, roughly 3 km, around 150 km\/h<\/li><li><strong>Landing:<\/strong> Hard landing; the landing skid broke<\/li><li><strong>Programme:<\/strong> Opel RAK, with Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Rocket Cars First<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The idea came from Max Valier, a rocketry enthusiast born in Bozen, South Tyrol, and a co-founder of the German Spaceflight Society. He persuaded Fritz von Opel, grandson of the Opel company founder, that a rocket car would sell both rockets and cars. The rockets came from Friedrich Wilhelm Sander, a pyrotechnics maker in Bremerhaven who built black-powder rockets for harpoons and signals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The results were spectacular. On 23 May 1928, von Opel drove the RAK 2, powered by 24 rockets, to 238 km\/h on the AVUS track in Berlin in front of about 3,000 spectators, including film director Fritz Lang and boxing champion Max Schmeling. A month later a rocket-powered rail car, RAK 3, reached 256 km\/h near Hanover.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2031008611678253565&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:520px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>But the team always said the cars were only a warm-up. The real target was flight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Glider That Blew Up<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Their first attempt used a tailless glider designed by Alexander Lippisch, the Ente. Flown by Fritz Stamer at the Wasserkuppe on 11 June 1928, it became the first full-sized rocket-powered aircraft, completing a circuit of about 1,500 metres. On its second flight, a rocket exploded, punched holes in both wings and set the aircraft on fire. Stamer got it down from about 20 metres and got out. The Ente was a total loss.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Von Opel immediately commissioned a new aircraft from Julius Hatry. The RAK.1 had a sailplane wing with a pod slung underneath for the pilot and sixteen Sander rockets, and a tail carried on booms high above the exhaust.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/fritz-von-opel-friedrich-sander-rak1-1929.jpg\" alt=\"Fritz von Opel and Friedrich Sander in front of the Opel RAK.1, 1929\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Fritz von Opel (right) and rocket maker Friedrich Sander (left) with the RAK.1 at Rebstock in 1929. Photo: unknown author, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Take Off Quick<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>On the morning of 30 September 1929 the flight nearly did not happen. According to historian Frank H. Winter, as von Opel prepared to launch, Major Hellmuth Felmy came up with a warning: a telegram was on its way forbidding all flight tests, so he had better go before it officially arrived.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;A telegram just came from the Oberpraesidium in Kassel. All flight tests are forbidden. Take off quick! I haven't had the telegram yet!&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Major Hellmuth Felmy<\/strong> &mdash; to Fritz von Opel before the launch, 30 September 1929, as recounted by Frank H. Winter<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The first two attempts that morning failed. The launch boosters fired, but the main rockets did not ignite, and the RAK.1 glided back down. The third attempt, at about 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon, worked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c04Nh1gWtvk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">Period footage of the RAK.1 demonstration at Frankfurt-Rebstock on 30 September 1929. Video: German Speeches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">75 Seconds of Rocket Flight<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Von Opel climbed to about 30 metres and was timed at around 150 km\/h. A gust near the edge of the field forced him down early, after using only part of his rockets. He landed hard. The skid broke and the cockpit floor was torn away, leaving him hanging in his harness. Ten minutes later he wrote down his impressions for The New York Times, which had bought the exclusive American rights.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/opel-rak1-in-flight-rebstock-1929.jpg\" alt=\"Opel RAK.1 rocket plane in flight at Rebstock, Frankfurt, 1929\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The RAK.1 in flight at Rebstock, Frankfurt, in 1929. Photo: unknown author, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;I only feel the boundless intoxicating joy of making a flight such as man has never made before.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Fritz von Opel<\/strong> &mdash; account of the RAK.1 flight written ten minutes after landing, for The New York Times, 30 September 1929<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Came Next<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The RAK.1 flew only once in public, but it did what von Opel wanted. It made rocket propulsion front-page news and helped set off what Wikipedia calls a global \"rocket rumble.\" Within a decade, rocket aircraft were being designed in earnest in Germany, leading to the Heinkel He 176 and the Me 163 Komet. A replica of the RAK.1 is on display at the Technoseum in Mannheim, where Hatry himself supervised its construction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oEyf1KFgE-o\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#666;font-style:italic\">Another look at von Opel's 1929 flight. Despite the video's title, the RAK.1 was a rocket plane, not a jet. Video: Motor1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Opel RAK.1, Lippisch Ente); Frank H. Winter, as cited by Wikipedia; Heinz Gartmann, as cited by Wikipedia; Technoseum Mannheim. Featured image: Bergfalke2 \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Opel RAK.1?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Opel RAK.1 was the world's first purpose-built rocket-powered aircraft. Designed and built by Julius Hatry for Fritz von Opel and powered by 16 Sander black-powder rockets, it made its first public flight at Rebstock near Frankfurt on 30 September 1929.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who flew the first rocket plane?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Fritz Stamer flew the Lippisch Ente, the first full-sized rocket-powered aircraft, at the Wasserkuppe on 11 June 1928. Fritz von Opel flew the Opel RAK.1, the first purpose-built rocket aircraft, at Frankfurt on 30 September 1929.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How long did the Opel RAK.1 fly?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Fritz von Opel's flight in the RAK.1 on 30 September 1929 lasted about 75 seconds and covered roughly 3 kilometres, reaching an estimated speed of around 150 km\/h before a hard landing that broke the landing skid.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How fast was the Opel RAK 2 rocket car?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Fritz von Opel drove the Opel RAK 2 rocket car, powered by 24 rockets, to 238 km\/h on the AVUS track in Berlin on 23 May 1928. The RAK 3 rocket-powered rail car later reached 256 km\/h near Hanover.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where can you see the Opel RAK.1 today?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A replica of the Opel RAK.1, built under the supervision of its designer Julius Hatry, is on display at the Technoseum museum of technology in Mannheim, Germany, which also holds original parts of the aircraft.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Opel RAK.1?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Opel RAK.1 was the world's first purpose-built rocket-powered aircraft. Designed and built by Julius Hatry for Fritz von Opel and powered by 16 Sander black-powder rockets, it made its first public flight at Rebstock near Frankfurt on 30 September 1929.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who flew the first rocket plane?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fritz Stamer flew the Lippisch Ente, the first full-sized rocket-powered aircraft, at the Wasserkuppe on 11 June 1928. Fritz von Opel flew the Opel RAK.1, the first purpose-built rocket aircraft, at Frankfurt on 30 September 1929.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long did the Opel RAK.1 fly?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fritz von Opel's flight in the RAK.1 on 30 September 1929 lasted about 75 seconds and covered roughly 3 kilometres, reaching an estimated speed of around 150 km\/h before a hard landing that broke the landing skid.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How fast was the Opel RAK 2 rocket car?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fritz von Opel drove the Opel RAK 2 rocket car, powered by 24 rockets, to 238 km\/h on the AVUS track in Berlin on 23 May 1928. The RAK 3 rocket-powered rail car later reached 256 km\/h near Hanover.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where can you see the Opel RAK.1 today?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A replica of the Opel RAK.1, built under the supervision of its designer Julius Hatry, is on display at the Technoseum museum of technology in Mannheim, Germany, which also holds original parts of the aircraft.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/messerschmitt-me-163-komet-rocket-fighter-that-killed-its-pilots\/\">The Me 163 Komet: The Rocket Fighter That Ate Its Pilots<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/bereznyak-isayev-bi-1-soviet-rocket-interceptor\/\">Stalin's Rocket Plane and the Devil's Broomstick<\/a><\/p><p 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