Rudy in the Rocket Glider

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://
http://www.flightjournal.com/fj/arti...63/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

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

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://
http://www.flightjournal.com/fj/arti...63/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).

"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://
http://www.flightjournal.com/fj/arti...63/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.

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

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