Herman at 11:19, 31 May 2007

2007-05-31T11:19:47Z

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Between ca. 1925 - 1930 spectacular Rocket-Testdrives were made on German ground.
For the first Rocket-Car test of Volkhart, a normal Opel Typ 4 (normally 14 PS ) was tuned with two rockets mounted by Ing. Friedrich Wilhelm Sander. Kurt C. Volkhart started, unbelievable hissing sounds, yellow red flames and out of a big smoke cloud the Opel appeared. With walking speed Volkhart drove ca. 150 meters. All people who were involved didn't know if they
should laugh or cry. A second try with stronger rockets was more succesfull.

[[Image:Volkhart.jpg]]

One month later, at the Opel speedway, a new experiment with a new car, the Opel Rak 1, and Volkhart as driver, was started.
The new Opel Rak 1 had now 12 rockets and wings at the sides. After some testdrives, Volkhart reached the 100 km/h border, though 5 rockets didn't work. The crowd was screaming and he finished a 1500 meter round of the Nascar like speedway.

A new star was born. As he was asked for his impressions after the rocket ride, he just said:

" The pressure was disgusting "

The enthusiasm was great, Fritz von Opel constructed the new Opel Rak 2, and wanted to drive himself now.

But Volkhart wanted to drive on in rocket-cars and a [[Rabag Bugatti]] racer was changed after Volkhart`s wishes. The Volkhart R1 was built.

[[Image:VolkhartR1_001.jpg]]

[[Image:VolkhartR1_002.jpg]]

Volkhart was the only one who ever took another person with him in the car, as he tried a record drive. I dont know, if it really was his "Fräulein" Wadenfels.

23.May 1928, Fritz von Opel started with his new Rak 2. 24 high explosive 80 mm rockets, each 250 Kg thrust, boosted the Rak 2 till 236 km/h. This was only a 24 seconds drive, 1800 meter long. The impressions must be "hard" cause Fritz von Opel never again drove a Rocket-Car.

Source: pilotenbunker.de

Rabag Bugatti Rocket Car - Revision history

Herman at 11:19, 31 May 2007