Editing Lippisch Ente (section)

{{redirect|Ente|the 2013 Indian film|Ente (film)}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2012}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 | name=Ente
 | image=RRG Raketen-Ente Deutsches Segelflugmuseum 02 2009-05-31.jpg
 | caption=RRG Raketen-Ente
 | type=Experimental glider
 | national_origin=Germany
 | manufacturer=[[Alexander Lippisch]] and [[Opel-RAK]]
 | designer=Alexander Lippisch (glider); Fritz von Opel, Max Valier, Friedrich Sander (rocket propulsion)
 | first_flight=1928
 | introduction=
 | retired=
 | status=
 | 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.