A NOTABLE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1929, Page 3

A NOTABLE

INVENTOR OF THE ROCKET ’PLANE.

Herr Gpol’s rocket aeroplane flew six miles at a, height of 200 feet, according to last week’s cables. He has been experimenting lor many yea-is with new forms of propulsion and it is said that he intends to atte-mj t a to the moon. Fricz von Opel, jun., .the German motor liiam I'm. tuier and sportsman, was born at Russeishcim-am-Ahun in May,' 1899, as tile son of Dr W, von and the. grandson of Adam Opel, ioundtv of the cycle and motor works of that name. Luring the war he served lirst in the army and then in the air force, Doing stationed in Belgium. Afterwards he studied at the Darmstadt Technical College and entered the family firm, taking charge of the cycle section. His nn,cle, also known as Fritz von Opel, is a partner in the works.

At 'in v age he went in for cycle racing, ‘blit soon turned his attention to motoring and won the first race on the new “Aviis’’ track at Berlin in 1921. More recently he has taken up motor-boat racing. In July, -1927, he won the Prix.de Paris and in October an important event on the Templinersee, near Beilin. While testing a new method of steering in August, 1927, he nearly lost his life. , The vessel capsized r+ 45 miles an hour and Opel was carried beneath it. He was unconscious when he was rescued.

Soon afterwards he performed .an extraordinary feat on the same lake as the outcome of a Lot with the airman Baab, of the Ruab-Katzen-stein works. While his motor-boat and an aero /lane were going at high speed, the pilot, Schlinder, climbed down a rope and was taken on board. Opel then followed the aeroplane so that iSchlinder was able to climb back uip the rope into the. machine. In the international motor-heat race on the Templinersee on June 16, 1928, von Opel came in first of his class with a speed of 81 kill. (521 miles) an hour. In a contest between his boat and an express train running alongside the Rhine, he heat the train. While he was trying out a new vessel early in August, 1928. if caught fire he saved his life by iplungiivr. into the water and swimming ashore. Opel was connected with Valiev in the “rocket car” experiments. The first test took place on a track at his works in April, 1928, without a driver, but during the second trial on the “Avus” track at Berlin where a speed of 200 km. per hour was reached, Opel was at the wheel. Later tests on a railway ■ track between Burgwedel and Celle led to the destruction of two cars .which bjew up., but there was no one on board. Ai the same time Opel and the RaabKatzenstein works were engaged on the construction of a “rocket’? aeroplane, the first flight with which on June 12, 1928, is said to have been a success. Differences then arose between the two firms and Valier broke off relations with Opel, who, however, declared that he was going on with the aeroplane experiments. The explosive powder originally used in the rockets was discarded in favour of a non-explosive .‘liquid which was 500 times cheaper.