Re: Rudy in the Rocket Glider

[Andy Blackburn]

Rudy still lives in southern Connecticut and is now
in his 90's. I believe he's recently stopped flying
due to his eyesight.

A great, unassuming man with many fantastic flying
stories.

9B


At 21:24 07 September 2003, Jim Culp wrote:
>Rudy Opitz gave good talks on his experiences in the
>rocket
>launching glider Me163. Here is one account. We
>would be in luck to hear this at the SSA Convention
>in Atlanta.
>
>
>
>http://
>www.flightjournal.com/fj/articles/me163/me163_1.asp
>
>Who knows if Rudy Opitz is still alive and well?
> I hope so. The article says he is 86 yrs young now.
>
>
>Last saw him and spoke with him at Huntsville SSA Convention.
>
>
>I think he was
>SSA State Governor in Connecticut for a long time.
>
>May still be.
>Wow, I want somethin of what he been drinkin'.
>
> You know, as I understand it, he came to US as one
>of the US's plumb picked German aeronautical rocket
>researchers and test engineers, I think. Chosen by
>the US like was Dr. Werner Von Braun. The Russkies
>plucked a bunch of aero/rocket/ and atomic researchers
>or engineers and the US did too and the race for technological,
>atomic, aeronautic dominance was on from the end of
>WWII.
>
>Rudy Opitz, he did research and flight testing at Wright
>Patterson AFB, some of it on Horten and other flying
>wings.
>
>He flew one of the Horten flying wings in a US soaring
>contest one year.
>
>Hope you enjoy the article.
>
>Dancing on clouds,
>
>Keep it up!
>
>Jim Culp USA
>GatorCity, Florida
>Std Libelle
>
>
>

[Jim Culp]

Nolaminar cited
Operation Paperclip,
the US bringing scientists, engineers, test pilots

from Germany at end of WWII.

See
www.goordnance.apg.army.mil/OPpaperclip.htm

Jim Culp USA

[Tom Seim]

Jim Culp > wrote in message >...
> Rudy Opitz gave good talks on his experiences in the
> rocket
> launching glider Me163. Here is one account. We
> would be in luck to hear this at the SSA Convention
> in Atlanta.
>
>
>
> http://
> www.flightjournal.com/fj/articles/me163/me163_1.asp
>
> Who knows if Rudy Opitz is still alive and well?
> I hope so. The article says he is 86 yrs young now.
>
>
> Last saw him and spoke with him at Huntsville SSA Convention.
>
>
> I think he was
> SSA State Governor in Connecticut for a long time.
>
> May still be.
> Wow, I want somethin of what he been drinkin'.
>
> You know, as I understand it, he came to US as one
> of the US's plumb picked German aeronautical rocket
> researchers and test engineers, I think. Chosen by
> the US like was Dr. Werner Von Braun. The Russkies
> plucked a bunch of aero/rocket/ and atomic researchers
> or engineers and the US did too and the race for technological,
> atomic, aeronautic dominance was on from the end of
> WWII.
>
> Rudy Opitz, he did research and flight testing at Wright
> Patterson AFB, some of it on Horten and other flying
> wings.
>
> He flew one of the Horten flying wings in a US soaring
> contest one year.
>
> Hope you enjoy the article.
>
> Dancing on clouds,
>
> Keep it up!
>
> Jim Culp USA
> GatorCity, Florida
> Std Libelle

A great story, except for the part about Geoffrey de Havilland being
killed (he died in 1965).

[Michael McNulty]

"Tom Seim" > wrote in message
om...
> Jim Culp > wrote in message
>...
> > Rudy Opitz gave good talks on his experiences in the
> > rocket
> > launching glider Me163. Here is one account. We
> > would be in luck to hear this at the SSA Convention
> > in Atlanta.
> >
> >
> >
> > http://
> > www.flightjournal.com/fj/articles/me163/me163_1.asp
> >
> > Who knows if Rudy Opitz is still alive and well?
> > I hope so. The article says he is 86 yrs young now.
> >
> >
> > Last saw him and spoke with him at Huntsville SSA Convention.
> >
> >
> > I think he was
> > SSA State Governor in Connecticut for a long time.
> >
> > May still be.
> > Wow, I want somethin of what he been drinkin'.
> >
> > You know, as I understand it, he came to US as one
> > of the US's plumb picked German aeronautical rocket
> > researchers and test engineers, I think. Chosen by
> > the US like was Dr. Werner Von Braun. The Russkies
> > plucked a bunch of aero/rocket/ and atomic researchers
> > or engineers and the US did too and the race for technological,
> > atomic, aeronautic dominance was on from the end of
> > WWII.
> >
> > Rudy Opitz, he did research and flight testing at Wright
> > Patterson AFB, some of it on Horten and other flying
> > wings.
> >
> > He flew one of the Horten flying wings in a US soaring
> > contest one year.
> >
> > Hope you enjoy the article.
> >
> > Dancing on clouds,
> >
> > Keep it up!
> >
> > Jim Culp USA
> > GatorCity, Florida
> > Std Libelle
>
> A great story, except for the part about Geoffrey de Havilland being
> killed (he died in 1965).

Geoffrey de Havilland Senoir died in 1965; his son Geoffrey was killed in
1946 testing the DH108.

[Robin Birch]

In message >, Tom Seim
> writes
>> Dancing on clouds,
>>
>> Keep it up!
>>
>> Jim Culp USA
>> GatorCity, Florida
>> Std Libelle
>
>A great story, except for the part about Geoffrey de Havilland being
>killed (he died in 1965).
Father or son? One of them died as a test Pilot in the DH Swallow which
was a flying wing (I think) in the late 40s or early 50s.

Robin
--
Robin Birch

[Mike Lindsay]

In article >, Jim Culp
> writes
>Rudy Opitz gave good talks on his experiences in the
>rocket
>launching glider Me163. Here is one account. We
>would be in luck to hear this at the SSA Convention
>in Atlanta.
>
>
>
I have a couple of photos of the ME162 engine. Send me an E and I'll
send you the pictures.

The machine is at the Shuttleworth collection. The panel is clearly not
original.
>
>

--
Mike Lindsay