1894-1976

German aviation designer who pioneered the development of high-speed jet and rocket-powered aircraft. Lippisch initially devoted his research to tailless planes, and developed his first successful tailless glider in 1921. Seven years later he made history with the first rocket-powered glider flight. In 1940 he designed the rocket-powered ME 163 interceptor for the German Luftwaffe. This aircraft initially flew in excess of 600 mph (966 kph), and by the next year reached speeds of 754 mph (1213 kph) and heights of 30,000 ft (9144 m). In 1946 Lippisch emigrated to the United States, where he worked with the U.S. Air Force and founded the Lippisch Research Corporation in 1965.