Erich Warsitz
Erich Karl Warsitz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Hattingen, Germany |
| Died | July 12, 1983 (aged 76) Lugano, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Test pilot |
| Known for | First pilot of liquid-fueled rocket-powered aircraft (Heinkel He 176) and first jet-powered aircraft (Heinkel He 178) |
Erich Karl Warsitz (born 18 October 1906 – died 12 July 1983) was a prominent German test pilot during the 1930s. Holding the rank of Flight Captain in the Luftwaffe, he was appointed by the Reich Air Ministry as the chief test pilot at Peenemünde West. He is historically significant for being the first pilot to operate an aircraft powered by a liquid-fueled rocket, the Heinkel He 176, on June 20, 1939, and also for piloting the first jet-powered aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, on August 27 of the same year.
Aviation career
Warsitz was born in Hattingen.: 17
His aviation education began with practical training and technical studies, starting as a sport pilot working toward his A-2 licence at the Academic Aviation Group Bonn/Hangelar between 1929 and 1930. He then progressed through B-1 and B-2 training phases at various aerodromes affiliated with contemporary sports flying organizations. Further instruction was undertaken at DVS (German Commercial Pilot School) in Stettin, where he achieved his C-2 licence, qualifying him for land aircraft and commercial passenger transport, as well as all necessary certifications for over-water flights. Alongside these, he earned the advanced K-2 aerobatics licence, completed blind-flying training, and acquired a short-distance navigation certificate. After securing all required licences at DVS, Warsitz worked as a sport aircraft instructor before being assigned to the Reichsbahnstrecke—a covert unit within the Weimar Republic’s limited military force tasked with long-distance flight experience—where he served as flight instructor, senior flight instructor, and eventually training leader. In 1934, he received orders to report to Rechlin, the primary test facility for the Luftwaffe. At Rechlin, amid a period of intense activity in German aviation manufacturing, Warsitz quickly flew nearly every new model produced by aircraft manufacturers. This marked the beginning of his involvement with aviation advancements that would soon hold great historical significance.: 19, 29–30
Heinkel He 111 and 112
Towards the end of 1936, Erich Warsitz was assigned by the RLM to collaborate with Wernher von Braun and Ernst Heinkel, due to his reputation as one of the era’s most skilled test pilots combined with his extensive technical expertise. In 1937, alongside von Braun, Warsitz conducted the pioneering flight tests of the Heinkel He 112 equipped with von Braun’s rocket propulsion system. Although the aircraft experienced a wheels-up landing and caught fire on the fuselage, it successfully demonstrated to officials that controlled flight using a rearward thrust mechanism was feasible.
Simultaneously, the RLM developed an interest in rocket boosters designed to be mounted beneath the wings of heavily loaded bombers. These boosters aimed to reduce takeoff distances from limited airfields and small aerodromes. After burnout, the booster casings were intended to be recovered by parachute for reuse. This initiative was managed by Hellmuth Walter’s company in Kiel. Initial static tests and flight trials of these boosters took place at Neuhardenberg, utilizing a Heinkel He 111E provided by Heinkel.[1]
In addition to von Braun’s work, Walter was tasked by the RLM to develop a rocket engine for the He 112, resulting in two distinct rocket motor designs being tested at Neuhardenberg. Von Braun’s engines operated on alcohol and liquid oxygen combustion, producing visible flames, while Walter’s engines used hydrogen peroxide with calcium permanganate as a catalyst, generating hot gases through chemical reaction without direct combustion. Both systems produced thrust and enabled high speeds. Later flights of the He 112 employed Walter’s rocket engine instead of von Braun’s due to its greater reliability, operational simplicity, and reduced risk for pilot and aircraft. All these test flights at Neuhardenberg were piloted by Erich Warsitz.[1]
Heinkel He 176
During the Neuhardenberg development phase, the concept of an "interceptor" was introduced, with the Heinkel He 176 serving as the experimental platform for this new category. The RLM envisioned a novel fighter capable of rapid vertical ascent to intercept enemy bomber formations flying at altitudes between 6000 and 7000 meters. The strategy involved a swift climb followed by a high-speed attack from below, discharging machine guns or cannons into hostile aircraft before returning to land once fuel was depleted. The Messerschmitt Me 163, developed independently later during World War II, became the operational counterpart of this interceptor concept.
Due to its classified nature, Heinkel established a dedicated unit at his Rostock-Marienehe facility for the He 176 project. Initial testing took place in a wooden barrack constructed specifically for this purpose, with access restricted to a limited number of personnel. This temporary structure was soon replaced by a permanent building as development accelerated rapidly. Ground trials commenced at Peenemünde-West, where taxiing tests were conducted to assess runway performance.
At one point, after completing several short hops and becoming acquainted with the aircraft’s handling quirks and challenges, Erich Warsitz resolved to perform the first full-fledged flight on June 20, 1939.
Heinkel He 178
Although the He 176 rocket plane was developed in close partnership with the RLM, Heinkel did not receive the level of backing he anticipated despite its achievements. While several key figures within the Air Ministry expressed interest, the looming outbreak of the Second World War shifted priorities elsewhere. The He 178 project proceeded without the RLM's awareness and ultimately became the pioneering aircraft to inaugurate the Jet Age. On August 27, 1939, Erich Warsitz completed the world's inaugural jet-powered flight piloting the Heinkel He 178, equipped with Hans von Ohain’s jet engine, the He S 3 turbine.
Following his second lap around the circuit, Warsitz prepared the He 178 for touchdown. The turbine responded smoothly and promptly to throttle adjustments. Just above ground level, he corrected the aircraft’s pitch, executed an impeccable landing, and brought it to a stop mere moments before reaching the Warnow river.
World War II
Following a directive from Adolf Hitler mandating an immediate halt to all projects not ready for mass production within a year, Erich Warsitz devoted himself entirely to his role as chief test pilot at Peenemünde-West. In 1941, he also served as an instructor in Nantes and Eindhoven, training bomber crews in the effective use of rocket boosters on aircraft such as the Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 88.
In 1942, Warsitz experienced a serious accident during a test flight in a Messerschmitt Bf 109, caused by a defective fuel line, which grounded him for a full year. During this period, he assumed management of his father’s precision engineering business and established ‘Warsitz Werke’ in Amsterdam, producing various high-precision components.
Post-war
After World War II ended, Warsitz was residing in an apartment located in Berlin’s American sector when, in the early hours of December 6, 1945, four Soviet officers abducted him. He underwent extensive interrogations focused on his previous involvement with rocket and jet aircraft development under the OKH and RLM at Peenemünde and the Heinkel factory. Although pressured to sign a contract obligating him to collaborate with the Soviets on related technological advancements for five years, he refused. Consequently, he was sentenced to twenty-five years of forced labor and shortly thereafter transported to penal colony 7525/13 in Siberia.
Thanks to intervention by West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Warsitz returned in 1950 and founded “Maschinenfabrik Hilden,” a precision engineering company he operated until retiring in 1965.
Death
In April 1983, Warsitz suffered a stroke which led to his death at age seventy-six on July 12, 1983, in Lugano, Switzerland.
Commemoration
Erich Warsitz’s contributions to aviation were formally recognized when the German Post Office issued a commemorative stamp in his honor on October 4, 2007.
Cultural references
- Rocketmen, a documentary directed by Philip Osborn, was released in 2009 and features content related to Warsitz.
References
External links
- Official website featuring rare video footage and audio commentaries (archived version)
- Official website (current version)
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- 1906 births
- 1983 deaths
- Commercial aviators
- German test pilots
- German World War II pilots
- Heinkel
- People from Hattingen
- People from the Province of Westphalia
- Research and development in Nazi Germany