Chronology - Quarter 1 1931 home
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During 1931 -
  • Cattaneo rocketplane Nation: Italy. Crew: Cattaneo. Ettore Cattaneo flies a 280 kg rocket-boosted glider at Milan. It remains in the air for 34 seconds, covering 1 km. References: 47.
1931 January 4 - Launch Vehicle: Swan.
  • Rocket glider 30 minute flight. Nation: USA. Crew: Swan. William G. Swan stayed aloft for 30 minutes over Atlantic City, N.J., in a glider powered with 10 small rockets. References: 17.
1931 February 2 - Launch Vehicle: Schmiedl.
  • First rocket-mail. Nation: Austria. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Schmiedl launches his V7 post rocket with 100 letters aboard from Schoeckel bei Graz to Sankt Radegund, a distance of two kilometres. The 880 cm long rocket descended as planned by parachute . References: 17.
1931 February 20 - Launch Vehicle: Poggensee.
  • Poggensee instrumented rocket reaches 450 m. Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.45 km (0.28 mi). Karl Poggensee launched a powder rocket at a field near Berlin. Although the rocket technology did not represent a forward step, the rocket was was instrumented with a barometer, a camera, and a velocity measurement device. The rocket also set an altitude mark that Winkler, Nebel, and the other German liquid rocketeers had to beat in order to prove the superiority of the liquid fuel rocket. References: 2.
1931 February 21 - Launch Vehicle: HW-1.
  • Winkler HW-1 rocket - first liquid-fuel rocket in Europe. Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.0030 km (0.0019 mi). Funded by a Mr Hueckel, Winkler flies the first European liquid propellant rocket at Dessau, Germany. It is 60 cm high, weighs 5 kg, including 1.7 kg of liquid oxygen and methane propellants. The rocket consists of three tanks - one for the fuel, one for the oxygen, and one for the nitrogen gas that pressure-feeds the motor. The motor is a simple 18-inch long cylinder, housed at the centre of the prismatic rocket. The rocket reaches only 3 m in the first test due to a malfunction. References: 47.
March 1931 - Launch Vehicle: V-2.
  • First liquid rocket hardware developed for the Germany Army. Nation: Germany. Walter Riedel, and Arthur Riedel, at the Heylandt Company, built the first 20 kgf liquid propellant engine for the Heereswaffenamt. It featured a double-walled cylindrical combustion chamber, and was used to test different propellant combinations. References: 693.
1931 March 14 - Launch Vehicle: HW-1.
  • HW-1 reaches 500 m. Nation: Germany. Apogee: 0.50 km (0.31 mi). Winkler's HW-1 rocket reached 500 m over Dessau, Germany. References: 17.

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