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The Rumanian-German rocket pioneer Hermann Oberth achieved fame for his landmark 1923 book, "Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen" (The Rocket into Interplanetary Space). During his stay in Berlin in 1930, Oberth conceived of a combustion chamber conical in shape he called the Kegeldüse (cone nozzle). It was to be made of steel with a heavy copper lining to withstand the heat of combustion. The two halves bolted together. Officially tested by the Reich Institute for Chemistry and Technology on 23 July 1930, the Kegeldüse burned for 90 seconds, consuming 6 kilograms (13 pounds) of liquid oxygen and 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gasoline and producing a constant thrust of about 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds). One of Oberth's assistants for these tests was the eighteen-year-old Wernher von Braun.

Karlheinz Rohrwild of the Hermann Oberth-Raumfahrt-Museum in Feucht, Germany, made this 1:1 model and gave it to the Smithsonian.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Rockets & Missiles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Rockets & Missiles
Object Details
Date 1929 (model made 1985) Country of Origin Germany Type MODELS-Propulsion Model Maker Karlheinz Rohrwild
 Dimensions Overall: 7 3/4 in. tall x 3 1/2 in. diameter (19.69 x 8.89cm)
Other (motor only): 6 3/4 in. tall (17.15cm)
 Materials Aluminum, overall; on wooden stand with felt backing
 Inventory Number A19850813000 Credit Line Gift of Karlheinz Rohrwild Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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