DFS 228
The DFS 228 " Narwhal " was an experimental altitude reconnaissance aircraft with rocket propulsion that developed the German Research Institute for Gliding during the Second World War. The aircraft should be brought to an altitude of about 10,000 feet or more, there should then start and bring the aircraft to about 20000-23000 m of rocket propulsion. It was assumed that the aircraft was well protected from enemy attacks to travel at high altitude about 1,000 km distance in gliding when the rocket engine was repeatedly turned briefly to maintain altitude.
History
The DFS 228, a cantilever mid-wing monoplane, developed by Felix Kracht. The aircraft design was very much like a conventional glider. The aircraft was almost completely made up on the pressure cabin of metal made of wood. A first prototype even without rocket engines was completed in March 1944 and underwent numerous test flights. After the test flights had shown that the pressure cabin was not suitable, a new pressurized cabin has been developed in which the pilot steered the plane lying. The entire aircraft nose was both in original design and in the revised version, in an emergency airframe absprengbar to serve as a survival capsule with integrated parachute for pilots at high altitude. Once the external pressure was increased to an acceptable level for the pilot, he could get out of the bow and slide on his own parachute to the ground. As drive the controllable Walter HWK 109-509 rocket motor should serve with a thrust 100-1600 kp. There is no evidence that there has been test flights with built rocket engine. In May 1945, the second prototype was destroyed in an air raid, the first prototype was captured by American forces and brought to the UK for testing in 1946.