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Bizzare and effectual - that was Alexander Lippisch...

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Shippo
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:43 pm

Bizzare and effectual - that was Alexander Lippisch...

Post by Shippo » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:10 am

These past thousand years of development have led to a very rich history of flying machines. With such a long time in the making, technological advancements are bound to happen - but so are strange inventions! In the field of aviation, we definitely find both.
The aviation industry during World War One and World War Two was like a big marketplace where competition abounded. The demands for new aircraft were high, so aviation designers and engineers were continually churning design after design. This led to the designing of some bizarre, albeit well-conceptualized, aircraft . One of these was the Lippisch Aerodyne. It fell into the category "bizarre."
The Aerodyne is just one of the many inventions of master German aircraft designer Alexander Lippisch. In first looking at the design will leave most people wondering how on earth the engineers managed to get such a bizarrely shaped aircraft off the ground. The Aerodyne, however, has good science behind it. In fact, it was designed in such a way that it goes beyond what conventional airplanes could do back in its time. Its unusual design influenced later on in the 20th century other designers who were responsible for aircraft such as the Hawker Siddeley P1127 and the Harrier jet (very effective in the Falklands War). His research led him to create the first successful delta wing aircraft in 1930. This footage reveals his aviation thoughts as seen here on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvtxjSrImHw
Born in Munich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Lippisch’s interest in aviation was triggered by a demonstration held by Orville Wright in Berlin back in 1909. He never looked back and his forward thinking was centred on aviation instead of pursuing the profession in Art like his father. During the first world war from 1915 to when the war ended, he ended up flying as an aerial mapper and photographer during his service with the German Army.
He then worked with the Zeppelin Company after WW1, and found his true love which was the tailless aircraft. In 1921, his first design was produced and given the name "Lippisch-Espenlaub E-2 glider."
At the beginning of WW2, Lippisch was transferred by the Reich Aviation Ministry in 1939 to the Messerschmitt factory where he was asked to design a high-speed fighter aircraft utilizing the rocket engine design of Hellmuth Walter. His team was quickly able to retrofit one of their recent designs, the DFS 194, with the rocket powered engine. They achieved flight in early 1940, and this aircraft was the direct ancestor of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.
Later on in his career, Lippisch to asked to develop a design incorporating the ground effect concept. He produced his first VTOL aircraft, and aerodyne, and the X-112 seaplane, which flew in 1963 and featured a revolutionary design with a T-tail and reversed delta wing.
Artist, musician and one of the world's top aerodynamicists, Alexander Lippisch was always thought to be "outside the box." A quiet man who never sought publicity and he is seldom adequately credited for his achievements.

Jeff Williams from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, seeks in some small way, to put this right by giving a illustrated talk on THE LIFE AND WORK OF ALEXANDER LIPPISCH.

The lecture will be held in the WW2 gymnasium at the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre on Wednesday, 29TH JUNE, beginning at 7.30pm

Admission is £5.00 to visitors to include refreshments but is free to members of Friends of Metheringham Airfield and veterans of 106 Squadron.
For further details contact 07486 947095


John Shipton
Press Officer
Friends of Metheringham Airfield
Lincoln

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