HW-2 Credit: © Mark Wade |
Status: Retired 1932. First Launch: 1932-10-06. Last Launch: 1932-10-06. Number: 1 . Height: 1.90 m (6.20 ft). Diameter: 0.40 m (1.31 ft).
The HW-2 was so ambitious that it had to be fired over the sea, so Winkler moved launch operations to the Baltic. Plans to launch from Greifswalder Oie were frustrated by the opposition of local officials, so the launch had to be finally conducted from the coastal site of Pillau in East Prussia. Unfortunately the salt in the sea air corroded the alloys of the rocket, and after the extended series of ground tests and the search for a launch site, the large rocket exploded on its first launch attempt. Winkler abandoned further practical research after this.
Winkler and HW-2 |
HW-2 |
Following an aborted attempt on 29 September, Winkler launches his HW-2 rocket from Pillau on the Baltic. He had worked for months at the Raketenflugplatz developing the new device. However on launch day an explosive propellant mix developed in the internal compartments of the rocket, and after igniting and rising only 3 m, it was blown to smithereens.