Once Flugkapitän Erich Warsitz was convinced that he knew all the peculiarities and wrinkles of the aircraft through the programme of rolling trials and short leaps, one fine summer's evening he announced spontaneously his decision to attempt the maiden flight immediately. A strange silence fell over all the engineers and assembly workers: nobody spoke, for all sensed that the decisive moment for the future was at hand.
Erich Warsitz: "I was already familiar with the unique acceleration along the runway. With full tanks I needed a longer run for take-off. I kept the aircraft straight using only gentle touches on the brakes. I kept her on the ground while building up a higher tempo, then pulled back lightly on the stick to make a steep ascent. I noticed - while flying at 750 km/hr - that the machine was shooting skywards at an angle of less than 45° without any loss in speed! In order not to wander too far from the airfield I banked left at once. It was a thrilling feeling to fly almost silently over the northern tip of Usedom island at 800 km/hr. I had no time for aerial maneuver, for my fuel would last only one minute and I had to concentrate on the landing. I lost height, swept over the Peene river and came in at 500 km/hr. Once over the airfield boundary I touched the runway a few times as prescribed and rolled the machine to a stop. The world's first manned rocket flight had succeeded!"
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