Heinkel He 176

The Heinkel He 176 was a German experimental rocket-powered aircraft and the first aircraft in the world propelled solely by a liquid-fueled rocket, making its first powered flight on 20 June 1939 with Erich Warsitz at the controls. Heinkel developed it as a private venture, starting in 1936 after tests with a modified He 72 and a pair of He 112s showed that rocket propulsion had promise. It was largely built of wood, with an unconventional reclined seat for the pilot and a jettisonable nose for emergency escape. The project was ordered cancelled on 12 September 1939 because of its small size and unimpressive performance, but it proved the concept and informed the He 280 and Messerschmitt Me 163. The prototype was destroyed by the end of the war, and only two true photographs survive.