Raketenflugtechnik. Inscribed on front flyleaf to his teacher Prof. Katzmayer who is mentioned in the introduction

Eugen Sanger

Published by Munich and Berlin, 1933

About this Item

Sänger, Eugen (1905-64). Raketenflugtechnik. ix, 222, [2]pp. Text illustrations. Munich and Berlin: R. Oldenbourg, 1933. 238 x 168 mm. Original cloth, rear hinge partly split, some spotting in the cloth; text is clean. Very good. Presentation Copy, Inscribed by Sänger to his former professor, whom he thanked in the introduction, Richard Katzmayr (b. 1884): "Seinem verehrten Lehrer, Herrn Prof. Katzmayr in Verehrung überreicht vom Verfasser." First Edition. Sänger's Raketenflugtechnik (Rocket-powered flight) was the first study to lead to the eventual development of a reusable human-piloted rocket-powered space plane, a concept that evolved into the X-planes and the Space Shuttle. Sänger's "Silverbird," which he and his associate (and future wife) Irene Bredt continued to refine during the 1930s, was conceived of as "a winged vehicle propelled by a rocket engine burning liquid oxygen and kerosene, capable of reaching Mach 10.0 at altitudes in excess of 100 miles" (Jenkins, Space Shuttle, p. 1). In order to realize his concept of a reusable rocket engine Sänger had to solve the major problem of how to cool the engine. He accomplished this by designing a "regeneratively cooled" engine cooled by its own fuel circulating around the combustion chamber. "Between 1932 and 1934, [Sänger] performed a series of pioneering experiments with reinforced cooled liquid rocket motors capable of burning mixtures of gas-oil and liquid oxygen (LOX), achieving thrust levels up to 30kp, pressures up to 50 bars, and exhaust velocities of about 3,000 m/s" (Sänger & Szames, "From the Silverbird to interstellar voyages," p. 2). Sänger originally submitted Rakentenflugtechnik as his thesis for an engineering degree from the Technical University of Vienna, but it was rejected as too fanciful. Sänger presented this copy to one of his former teachers at the University, Professor Richard Katzmayr, author of several works on aerodynamics. Sänger-Bredt & Engel, "The development of regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engines in Austria and Germany, 1926-42," in Durant & James, eds., First Steps toward Space, pp. 217-46. . $3500.

Seller Inventory # 40941

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Raketenflugtechnik. Inscribed on front flyleaf to his teacher Prof. Katzmayer who is mentioned in the introduction
• Publisher: Munich and Berlin
• Publication Date: 1933
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)