Johannes Winkler (29 May 1897 – 27 December 1947) was a German

rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

pioneer who co-founded with Max Valier of Opel RAK the first German rocket society "Verein für Raumschiffahrt" and launched, after Friedrich Wilhelm Sander's successful Opel RAK liquid-rocket launches in 1929, one of the first successful liquid-fuelled rocket in Europe.
NOTE: On 21 February 1931, the HW-I only climbed to 3 metres (Ordway & Sharpe, p18).
NOTE: On 13 March 1931, Karl Poggensee launched a solid fuel rocket near Berlin to 1,500 ft altitude.
NOTE: von Braun claims the VfR was founded in early June 1927 (the first issue of Die Rakete was dated "Januar-Juni 1927") In 1915 during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he joined the

German army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

and was wounded in action the following year, leading to a lengthy hospitalisation. After his recovery, he studied as a machinist at the Danzig technical college and found a job at

Junkers Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG (JFM, earlier JCO or JKO in World War I, English language, English: Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works) more commonly Junkers , was a major German aircraft manufacturer, aircraft and aircraft engine manufactu ...

. On 5 July 1927, he was one of the founders the '' Verein für Raumschiffahrt'' (VfR – "Spaceflight Society"). He also was the society's first president and editor of the VfR's ''Die Rakete journal. On 14 March 1931 at 4:45 pm, he launched the Hückel-Winkler I (HW-I) at the Gross Kühnau drill field near

Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...

. According to his account, it was planned to reach an altitude of 500 meters, but it turned and flew horizontally, landing 200 meters from the pad. The maximum altitude of the rocket was not recorded. It was powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Eighteen months after the HW-I flight, Winkler launched the HW-II on 6 October 1932 in a public demonstration, which included invited officials from the

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

council. Unfortunately, the rocket exploded within seconds of ignition because of a faulty fuel valve. Winkler designed a number of other rockets and JATO units for Junkers and then a government aviation research institute, but none left the drawing board.

Honours

The Winkler crater, a small impact crater on the far side of the Moon, is named after Johannes Winkler.International Astronomical Union > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Feature/6560
Accessed 9 July 2013.

References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winkler, Johannes 1897 births 1947 deaths German aerospace engineers German people of World War II German rocket scientists German spaceflight pioneers People from Namysłów County People from the Province of Silesia People from the German Empire People from the Weimar Republic