Alexander Lippisch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Lippisch
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Alexander Lippisch, with Günther Grönhoff in the cockpit of the Storch V.
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| Born | November 2, 1894 |
| Died | February 11, 1976 (aged 81) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
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| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Projects | Messerschmitt Me 163 |
| Significant advance | first rocket plane first delta wing to fly first mass-produced rocket fighter |
Alexander Martin Lippisch (born November 2, 1894 – died February 11, 1976) was a German engineer who designed airplanes. He was a pioneer in the field of aerodynamics, which is the study of how air moves around objects.
Lippisch made big discoveries about planes that don't have tails, called tailless aircraft. He also worked on delta wings, which are wings shaped like a triangle. He even studied the ground effect, which is how a plane flies differently when it's close to the ground.
He designed the world's first glider powered by a rocket. His ideas for delta wings were later used in fast supersonic fighter aircraft. His most famous designs include the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, a rocket-powered plane, and the Dornier Aerodyne.
Contents
Early Life and Aviation Dreams
Alexander Lippisch was born in Munich, Germany. He once said his interest in flying started when he saw Orville Wright fly in Berlin in 1909.
Even though he loved planes, he planned to become an artist like his father. But World War I changed his path. From 1915 to 1918, he served in the German Army. During this time, he got to fly as a photographer and mapmaker.
Designing Unique Aircraft
After the war, Lippisch started working for the Zeppelin Company. This is when he became very interested in planes without tails. In 1921, his first design, the Espenlaub E-2 glider, was built. This was the start of many designs he would create over the next two decades.
In 1925, Lippisch became the director of the Rhön-Rossitten Gesellschaft (RRG). This was a group that studied and built gliders. He also designed regular gliders like the Wien and the Fafnir.
In 1928, he designed the Ente (meaning "Duck"). This plane had its small wing at the front, like a duck. It was fitted with rockets and became the first aircraft ever to fly using rocket power! He then worked on a series of tailless gliders called Storch I through Storch IX.
The Delta Wing Takes Flight
Working with the Storch series helped Lippisch focus on delta-shaped wings. The Delta I was special because it was the world's first tailless delta wing aircraft to fly. This happened in 1931.
He built five delta-winged planes between 1931 and 1939. His organization, RGG, became the German Institute for Sailplane Flight (DFS) in 1933. His Delta IV and Delta V designs were then called the DFS 39 and DFS 40.
World War II Projects
In 1939, the German Air Ministry asked Lippisch and his team to work at the Messerschmitt factory. Their job was to design a very fast fighter aircraft using new rocket engines. They quickly changed their DFS 194 design to use rocket power. This plane flew successfully in 1940. It showed that the technology worked for what would become the famous Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.
The Komet was very advanced, but it wasn't a very successful weapon. In 1943, Lippisch moved to Vienna to focus on designing planes for very high speeds. He also earned a special engineering degree that year.
During the war, wind tunnel tests showed that delta wings were great for supersonic flight (faster than the speed of sound). Lippisch started designing a supersonic fighter plane called the Lippisch P.13a. It would have used a special engine called a ramjet. However, the war ended before this plane could be built. Only a test glider, the DM-1, was finished.
Why Delta Wings and Supersonic Flight Mattered
Even though the Lippisch P.13a never flew, Lippisch's research was very important. It helped develop the idea of the delta wing and how planes could fly faster than sound.
After the war, many countries used his ideas to build supersonic delta-wing fighter planes. These planes were needed to quickly stop enemy nuclear bombers. Lippisch's delta wing design was found to be very stable and efficient at high speeds.
Many engineers continued Lippisch's work:
- Lippisch himself worked for Convair in the United States.
- Hermann Behrbohm worked for French and Swedish aviation companies. He helped design the French Dassault Mirage and the Swedish Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen fighter jets.
- Bertil Dillner also worked on these concepts at Saab. Later, he moved to the US and worked for Boeing on supersonic passenger jets and the Space Shuttle.
Work in the United States
After World War II, Lippisch was one of many German scientists brought to the United States. This was part of a program called Operation Paperclip. He first worked at the White Sands Missile Range.
Convair and Delta Wings
New jet engines made Lippisch's ideas more practical. The company Convair became interested in a plane that used both jet and rocket power. They called it the F-92. To learn how delta wings handled at high speeds, they built a test plane called the 7002. On June 9, 1948, this became the first jet-powered delta-wing aircraft to fly.
Even though the US Air Force wasn't interested in the F-92, Convair kept using delta wings for many of their planes. These included the F-102 Delta Dagger, F-106 Delta Dart, and the B-58 Hustler.
Ground Effect Aircraft
From 1950 to 1964, Lippisch worked for the Collins Radio Company. During this time, he became interested in ground effect craft. These are vehicles that fly very close to the surface, using the ground effect to help them.
He designed an unusual aircraft that could take off and land vertically, called the Dornier Aerodyne. He also created a research seaplane, the Collins X-112, which flew in 1963. Lippisch then got sick and left Collins.
After he recovered in 1966, he started his own company. He designed more ground effect craft, like the RFB X-113 and RFB X-114. Another company, Kiekhaefer Mercury, also tested one of his designs called the Aeroskimmer.
Death and Legacy
Alexander Lippisch passed away in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on February 11, 1976. In 1985, he was honored by being added to the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. His work greatly influenced how modern aircraft are designed, especially those with delta wings and those that fly at very high speeds.
Images for kids
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Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-005-24, Alexander Lippisch.jpg
Alexander Lippisch in 1972.
Some Lippisch Designs
- Lippisch SG-38 Zögling, 1926
- DFS 39, a tailless research aircraft
- DFS 40, another tailless research aircraft
- DFS 194, a rocket-powered research aircraft that led to the Me 163
- Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet
- Lippisch P.13a, a unique delta-winged, ramjet-powered interceptor design
- Dornier Aerodyne, a test aircraft from 1972 that could take off and land vertically
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Lippisch para niños
