View source for Lippisch Ente

{{redirect|Ente|the 2013 Indian film|Ente (film)}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2012}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 | name=Ente
 | image=RRG Raketen-Ente Deutsches Segelflugmuseum 02 2009-05-31.jpg
 | caption=RRG Raketen-Ente
 | type=Experimental glider
 | national_origin=[[Weimar Republic|Germany]]
 | manufacturer=[[Alexander Lippisch]] and [[Opel-RAK]]
 | designer=Alexander Lippisch (glider); Fritz von Opel, Max Valier, Friedrich Sander (rocket propulsion)
 | first_flight=June 11, 1928
 | introduction=
 | retired=
 | status=Destroyed
 | primary_user=
 | number_built=1
 | developed_from=
 | variants=
}}

The '''Ente''' ({{langx|de|duck}}) was the world's first full-sized rocket-powered  aircraft. It was designed by [[Alexander Lippisch]] as a [[sailplane]] and first flown under power on June 11, 1928, piloted by [[Fritz Stamer]] as part of the [[Opel-RAK]] rocket program led by [[Fritz von Opel]] and [[Max Valier]].<ref name="Ford">{{cite book|last1=Ford|first1=Roger|title=Germany's Secret Weapons of World War II|date=2013|publisher=Amber Books|location=London, United Kingdom|isbn=9781909160569|pages=224}}</ref>

During the late 1920s von Opel had made a variety of demonstrations involving rocket-powered vehicles for the [[Opel]] company. He was assisted by the [[pyrotechnics]] manufacturer [[Friedrich Sander]] and the rocketry advocate [[Max Valier]]. In March 1928 the three men visited the [[Wasserkuppe]], a mountain which had become the center of German [[gliding]] to investigate the possibility of fitting rockets to an aircraft. There they encountered some of Lippisch's revolutionary gliders, which because of their tail-less designs seemed suitable for adapting to rocket propulsion. Lippisch was able to demonstrate how models of his aircraft would fly with small rockets installed in them. In June, von Opel, Sander, and Valier returned and bought one of his aircraft, the Ente, a [[canard (aeronautics)|canard]] design.

Two [[black powder]] rockets were installed, to be electrically fired by a switch in the cockpit. A counterweight system was also devised and placed under the cockpit floor which would automatically adjust the aircraft's [[Center of mass|center of gravity]] as the fuel of the rockets was consumed. The rockets were intended to be fired one after the other, to provide continuous thrust for as long as possible, and each had a burn time of around 30 seconds. Fritz Stamer, who had long been a [[test pilot]] for Lippisch's designs was selected to fly the aircraft. After one false start, the aircraft took off and flew a 1,500 metre (4,900&nbsp;ft) circuit of the Wasserkuppe's landing strip.

On the second flight, the team decided to try firing both rockets together for increased thrust over a shorter period.  However, rather than burning properly one of the rockets exploded, punching holes in both wings and setting the aircraft alight. Stamer was nevertheless able to bring it down from a height of around 20 metres (65&nbsp;ft) before hastily abandoning the Ente, which was burned beyond any hope of repair.

The [[Opel RAK.1]] was developed as the successor to the "Ente", and was demonstrated successfully to the public in September 1929 with Fritz von Opel as pilot.

==Specifications (RRG Raketen-Ente)==
[[File:RRG Raketen-Ente Deutsches Segelflugmuseum 01 2009-05-31.jpg|thumb|RRG Raketen-Ente in ''Deutsches Segelflugmuseum'']]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=<ref name="Ente">{{cite web|url=http://www.segelflugmuseum.de/rrg_raketen_ente_4264.html?psid=115a1e5196f7ebfeb1016ba4ae621f22|title=RRG-Raketen Ente|publisher=www.segelflugmuseum.de|language=German|accessdate=17 August 2012|location=Germany|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130204533/http://www.segelflugmuseum.de/rrg_raketen_ente_4264.html?psid=115a1e5196f7ebfeb1016ba4ae621f22|archive-date=30 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
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|crew=1
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|length m=4.31
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|volume note=
|aspect ratio=7
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|empty weight lb=
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|lift kg=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
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<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=Sander
|eng1 type= black powder rockets
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
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|eng1 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 kn=0.1962
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|eng2 number=2
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|eng2 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|eng2 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->

|eng3 number=
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 hp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 shp=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng3 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng3 note=
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|eng3 lbf-ab=<!-- afterburners -->
|more power=

|prop blade number=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
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|rot number=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia m=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia ft=<!-- helicopters -->
|rot dia in=<!-- helicopters -->
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<!--
        Performance
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|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
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|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
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|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
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|range km=1.5
|range miles=
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|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
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|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|glide ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
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|climb rate ftmin=
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|time to altitude=
|sink rate ms=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate ftmin=<!-- sailplanes -->
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
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|power/mass=
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|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|armament=<!-- add bulletted list here or if you want to use the following 
specific parameters, remove this parameter-->
|guns= 
|bombs= 
|rockets= 
|missiles= 
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=

|avionics=
}}

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}
{{DFS aircraft}}

[[Category:1920s German experimental aircraft]]
[[Category:Glider aircraft]]
[[Category:Rocket-powered aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1928]]
[[Category:Canard aircraft]]
[[Category:Lippisch aircraft]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]