Opel Rocket Vehicles

Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by Fritz von Opel, of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts.

The Lippisch Ente a rocket-powered glider was produced on June 11, 1928, piloted by Fritz Stamer, 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[2]
Opel RAK.2 - rocket car May 23, 1928 reached a speed of 230 km/h (143 mph) driven by 24 solid-fuel rockets[2]
Opel RAK.3 rocket train (quoted speed is variously 254 or 290 km/h. See: [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]) On the second run the train jumps the track and is destroyed.
Opel Rak IV rocket train, destroyed when a solid rocket explodes on the track, exploding all the other rockets. Railway authorities prohibit further runs.[3]
Opel RAK.1 rocket glider September 30, 1929

Some stock footage of some of the rocket vehicles was incorporated into this early SF film.

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Comments

0 -> 60 in only 8sec! At that speed the human mind is caused irrefutable, life threatening damage.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 01/25/16 at 10:06 AM

As proven by 2/3 of the drivers on any given highway anywhere.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 01/25/16 at 01:10 PM

Even the Mythbusters couldn't get it right every time.

Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 01/25/16 at 02:05 PM

My SUV with an inline-4 can do 0-60 in 7.9 seconds. I can't imagine what it would do with a JATO attached to it.

Posted by Phideaux on 01/25/16 at 05:49 PM

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