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Herman's Comet by Stan Stokes. - Cranston Military Prints

Herman's Comet by Stan Stokes.


Herman's Comet by Stan Stokes.

Hermann W. Goering was born in Rosenheim, a small town near Munich, in 1893. He received an appointment to a military school, and became a flyer during WW I. He attained an excellent combat and leadership record, and was the last individual to command the famed Richtofen Flying Circus. Following the War he studied history, married, but was drifting aimlessly until he met Adolf Hitler. When Hitler came to power Goering was made economic czar, and authorized to implement a four year plan which would prepare the German economy for war. Goerings greatest personal interest was in the Luftwaffe, and ultimately Field Marshal Goering was made Chief of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe performed admirably in the blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Benelux countries. However, Goering feared Britains entry into the War, and personally worked diplomatic channels to keep Britain out of the conflict. The Luftwaffes first defeat was in the Battle of Britain, where it was unable to wrest control of the sky from the Royal Air Force. As the War progressed, Goering supported Hitler, even though it appears he felt that the War was lost. In 1943 and 1944 Germany was devastated by massive Allied bombing attacks. Not enough resources were committed to the defense of Germanys cities, as Hitler became preoccupied with the struggle against the Soviet Union, and his desire to develop terror weapons to defeat Britain. Despite its strategic errors, the Luftwaffe developed some of the most advanced aircraft of the War including the Me-262 jet and the tail-less, rocket-powered Me-163 Comet, probably the most technically advanced aircraft of the War. Out of necessity, German aircraft designers compressed decades of development time into years or often months. Although it did not play a significant role in combat, the 163 represented a radical departure from conventional aircraft design. With a length of only 19 feet, the diminutive 163 was powered by a liquid fuel rocket engine. The production models of the Comet were fueled with a mixture of C-Stoff (a mixture of 57% methyl alcohol, 13% hydrazine hydrate, and 13% water) and T-Stoff which was 80% hydrogen peroxide. Almost 5000 pounds of fuel were carried, but the Comets engine had a burn time of only a few minutes. Many technological breakthroughs were required for the Comet program to succeed. Because space and weight were so critical, use of a conventional landing gear was not possible. Instead the 163 utilized a simple dolly consisting of an axle and two wheels which was jettisoned upon takeoff. For landing the 163 utilized a sturdy retractable skid with hydraulic shock absorbers. The Comet was also not particularly effective in combat despite its 596-MPH top speed and twin canon. The aircraft had only about 150 seconds of power once it reached altitude. Thereafter it became a very fast glider. Allied pilots learned to exploit the 163s vulnerability during landing. Rudolf Opitz, the Chief Test Pilot on the 163, was a central figure in the development and testing of the 163. Rudy met Herman Goering once at a special airshow for high ranking military and government officials. The few remaining 163s to survive the War are due to the efforts of Rudy to preserve this unique aircraft for aviation posterity.
Item Code : STK0116XXHerman's Comet by Stan Stokes. - Editions AvailableExtra....


A photo of an edition of the print.

DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Artist : Stan Stokes£15 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £35.00

Quantity:
225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Opitz, Rudolf

Died : 2010
Rudolf Opitz (deceased)
Born in Landeshut, Germany in 1910, Rudolf Opitz joined a flying club in 1929 and began flying gliders. In 1934 he became an instructor at Germanys famous glider school at Wasserkuppe in the Rhoen Mountains. Later he joined the German Research Institute as a flight instructor for cargo gliders and airplanes. From 1936 to 1939 Rudy was involved as the test pilot for a research team working on flying wing designs. In 1939 he was drafted into the Luftwaffe, and in 1940 he flew his first combat miss
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £55		£20 Off!Now : £130.00

Quantity:
In 1 Pair
View
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Opitz, Rudolf

Died : 2010
Rudolf Opitz (deceased)
Born in Landeshut, Germany in 1910, Rudolf Opitz joined a flying club in 1929 and began flying gliders. In 1934 he became an instructor at Germanys famous glider school at Wasserkuppe in the Rhoen Mountains. Later he joined the German Research Institute as a flight instructor for cargo gliders and airplanes. From 1936 to 1939 Rudy was involved as the test pilot for a research team working on flying wing designs. In 1939 he was drafted into the Luftwaffe, and in 1940 he flew his first combat miss
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £55		£50 Off!Now : £95.00

Quantity:
Wollenweber signature edition of 25 prints from the edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Wollenweber, Wolfgang
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Died : 2022
Oberleutnant Wolfgang Wollenweber (deceased)
After his flight training Wolfgang was transferred to JG5 in the Arctic where he flew the Me110 on escort missions over the North Atlantic, Murmansk and Russia, he was then awarded the Iron Cross First Class. After this he retrained on the Fw190 fighter aircraft and rocket fighter Me163. Wolfgang flew the Heinkel He162 as a Squadron Leader of the first jet fighter squadron. This revolutionary jet was demanding even for the most experienced pilots, many of them did not survive, but miraculously h
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £55		£30 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £110.00

Quantity:
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Wollenweber, Wolfgang
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Died : 2022
Oberleutnant Wolfgang Wollenweber (deceased)
After his flight training Wolfgang was transferred to JG5 in the Arctic where he flew the Me110 on escort missions over the North Atlantic, Murmansk and Russia, he was then awarded the Iron Cross First Class. After this he retrained on the Fw190 fighter aircraft and rocket fighter Me163. Wolfgang flew the Heinkel He162 as a Squadron Leader of the first jet fighter squadron. This revolutionary jet was demanding even for the most experienced pilots, many of them did not survive, but miraculously h
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £55		£60 Off!Now : £85.00

Quantity:


Some other related items available from this site.

Hermann W. Goering was born in Rosenheim, a small town near Munich, in 1893. He received an appointment to a military school, and became a flyer during WW I. He attained an excellent combat and leadership record, and was the last individual to command the famed Richtofen Flying Circus. Following the War he studied history, married, but was drifting aimlessly until he met Adolf Hitler. When Hitler came to power Goering was made economic czar, and authorized to implement a four year plan which would prepare the German economy for war. Goerings greatest personal interest was in the Luftwaffe, and ultimately Field Marshal Goering was made Chief of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe performed admirably in the blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Benelux countries. However, Goering feared Britains entry into the War, and personally worked diplomatic channels to keep Britain out of the conflict. The Luftwaffes first defeat was in the Battle of Britain, where it was unable to wrest control of the sky from the Royal Air Force. As the War progressed, Goering supported Hitler, even though it appears he felt that the War was lost. In 1943 and 1944 Germany was devastated by massive Allied bombing attacks. Not enough resources were committed to the defense of Germanys cities, as Hitler became preoccupied with the struggle against the Soviet Union, and his desire to develop terror weapons to defeat Britain. Despite its strategic errors, the Luftwaffe developed some of the most advanced aircraft of the War including the Me-262 jet and the tail-less, rocket-powered Me-163 Comet, probably the most technically advanced aircraft of the War. Out of necessity, German aircraft designers compressed decades of development time into years or often months. Although it did not play a significant role in combat, the 163 represented a radical departure from conventional aircraft design. With a length of only 19 feet, the diminutive 163 was powered by a liquid fuel rocket engine. The production models of the Comet were fueled with a mixture of C-Stoff (a mixture of 57% methyl alcohol, 13% hydrazine hydrate, and 13% water) and T-Stoff which was 80% hydrogen peroxide. Almost 5000 pounds of fuel were carried, but the Comets engine had a burn time of only a few minutes. Many technological breakthroughs were required for the Comet program to succeed. Because space and weight were so critical, use of a conventional landing gear was not possible. Instead the 163 utilized a simple dolly consisting of an axle and two wheels which was jettisoned upon takeoff. For landing the 163 utilized a sturdy retractable skid with hydraulic shock absorbers. The Comet was also not particularly effective in combat despite its 596-MPH top speed and twin canon. The aircraft had only about 150 seconds of power once it reached altitude. Thereafter it became a very fast glider. Allied pilots learned to exploit the 163s vulnerability during landing. Rudolf Opitz, the Chief Test Pilot on the 163, was a central figure in the development and testing of the 163. Rudy met Herman Goering once at a special airshow for high ranking military and government officials. The few remaining 163s to survive the War are due to the efforts of Rudy to preserve this unique aircraft for aviation posterity.

Herman's Comet by Stan Stokes. 		Hermann W. Goering was born in Rosenheim, a small town near Munich, in 1893. He received an appointment to a military school, and became a flyer during WW I. He attained an excellent combat and leadership record, and was the last individual to command the famed Richtofen Flying Circus. Following the War he studied history, married, but was drifting aimlessly until he met Adolf Hitler. When Hitler came to power Goering was made economic czar, and authorized to implement a four year plan which would prepare the German economy for war. Goerings greatest personal interest was in the Luftwaffe, and ultimately Field Marshal Goering was made Chief of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe performed admirably in the blitzkrieg attacks on Poland and the Benelux countries. However, Goering feared Britains entry into the War, and personally worked diplomatic channels to keep Britain out of the conflict. The Luftwaffes first defeat was in the Battle of Britain, where it was unable to wrest control of the sky from the Royal Air Force. As the War progressed, Goering supported Hitler, even though it appears he felt that the War was lost. In 1943 and 1944 Germany was devastated by massive Allied bombing attacks. Not enough resources were committed to the defense of Germanys cities, as Hitler became preoccupied with the struggle against the Soviet Union, and his desire to develop terror weapons to defeat Britain. Despite its strategic errors, the Luftwaffe developed some of the most advanced aircraft of the War including the Me-262 jet and the tail-less, rocket-powered Me-163 Comet, probably the most technically advanced aircraft of the War. Out of necessity, German aircraft designers compressed decades of development time into years or often months. Although it did not play a significant role in combat, the 163 represented a radical departure from conventional aircraft design. With a length of only 19 feet, the diminutive 163 was powered by a liquid fuel rocket engine. The production models of the Comet were fueled with a mixture of C-Stoff (a mixture of 57% methyl alcohol, 13% hydrazine hydrate, and 13% water) and T-Stoff which was 80% hydrogen peroxide. Almost 5000 pounds of fuel were carried, but the Comets engine had a burn time of only a few minutes. Many technological breakthroughs were required for the Comet program to succeed. Because space and weight were so critical, use of a conventional landing gear was not possible. Instead the 163 utilized a simple dolly consisting of an axle and two wheels which was jettisoned upon takeoff. For landing the 163 utilized a sturdy retractable skid with hydraulic shock absorbers. The Comet was also not particularly effective in combat despite its 596-MPH top speed and twin canon. The aircraft had only about 150 seconds of power once it reached altitude. Thereafter it became a very fast glider. Allied pilots learned to exploit the 163s vulnerability during landing. Rudolf Opitz, the Chief Test Pilot on the 163, was a central figure in the development and testing of the 163. Rudy met Herman Goering once at a special airshow for high ranking military and government officials. The few remaining 163s to survive the War are due to the efforts of Rudy to preserve this unique aircraft for aviation posterity.

Herman's Comet by Stan Stokes. 		Herbert Ihlefelds personal He162 White 23 - the revolutionary Heinkel Peoples Fighter - on patrol with JG1.This aircraft was captured intact and is today preserved in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC. <br><br><b>Published 2000.</b>

Jet Interceptor by Nicolas Trudgian. 		Franz Woidich, depicted here in the distinctive Me163 Komet aircraft, was an Ace with over 100 victories before being selected to fly this unusual aircraft. He had initially served in North Africa before scoring the bulk of his victories on the Eastern Front including two victory claims during the Battle of Kursk. With his total at 109 victories and having been awarded the Knight's Cross he was one of the elite pilots selected to fly the rocket-powered Me163 Komet with JG400 and rarer still, his final 'kill' of the war was one of just 16 made in this aircraft, taking his final total to 110.

Tribute to Franz Woidich by Ivan Berryman.
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo




Rudolf Opitz (deceased)
Died : 2010
*Signature Value : £55

Editions signed :

225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot.


Opitz, Rudolf
(Rudolf Opitz (deceased))

Born in Landeshut, Germany in 1910, Rudolf Opitz joined a flying club in 1929 and began flying gliders. In 1934 he became an instructor at Germanys famous glider school at Wasserkuppe in the Rhoen Mountains. Later he joined the German Research Institute as a flight instructor for cargo gliders and airplanes. From 1936 to 1939 Rudy was involved as the test pilot for a research team working on flying wing designs. In 1939 he was drafted into the Luftwaffe, and in 1940 he flew his first combat mission as an assault glider pilot on a mission to capture and secure three strategic bridges over the Albert Canal. In 1941 Opitz was assigned to the German Rocket Research Center at Peenemuende. He was assigned as a test pilot to the Me-163A Komet. In 1942 Rudy would make the worlds first flight in a rocket powered fighter aircraft, the Me-163B. In 1944 he was assigned as Commander of the IIJG/400 Rocket Fighter Group. Rudy met Herman Goering once at an exclusive airshow for high ranking military and government officials. All the latest designs were displayed, and Goering stopped by each aircraft to personally speak with their pilots and crews. Rudy, as the Chief Test Pilot for the 163 program was a bit surprised when Goering asked him, Were you drafted to serve in the rocket fighter squadron or did you volunteer to fly this aircraft? On Rudys last flight in the 163, the fire warning light came on immediately after take off. Rudy began to jettison fuel, but the cockpit filled with burning fuel vapors. Rudy jettisoned the canopy and somehow managed to bring the 163 down in a meadow near the airfield. Despite being injured Rudy managed to get out of the burning aircraft before it exploded. During his recovery Rudy met a nurse, Hanna, who would become his wife after the war. Opitz moved to the U.S. following the War. He continued his career as a test pilot for the Aeronautical Research and Development Center at Wright Patterson AF13 in Ohio. He also worked with the gas turbine division of Avco Lycoming. For more than three decades Opitz served as a FAA pilot examiner for private commercial and flight- instructor certificates. In 1984 he was elected and certified as an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. In 1994 he was elected into the United States Soaring Hall of Fame. Although 86-years young at the time of this writing, Rudy continues his life long enthusiasm for flight, and still works with aspiring young pilots at his local soaring club in Connecticut. The tremendous technological breakthroughs embodied in the Me-262 and Me-163 development programs accelerated the development of modem rocket and jet powered aircraft by compressing decades of normal development time into a few intense wartime years. Rudy Opitz and his fellow test pilots, many who gave their lives in the process, were critical to the successful development of these programs. Sadly, Rudolf Opitz passed away in May 2010.


Oberleutnant Wolfgang Wollenweber (deceased)
Died : 2022
*Signature Value : £55

Editions signed :

Wollenweber signature edition of 25 prints from the edition of 4750 prints.
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot.


Wollenweber, Wolfgang
(Oberleutnant Wolfgang Wollenweber (deceased))

After his flight training Wolfgang was transferred to JG5 in the Arctic where he flew the Me110 on escort missions over the North Atlantic, Murmansk and Russia, he was then awarded the Iron Cross First Class. After this he retrained on the Fw190 fighter aircraft and rocket fighter Me163. Wolfgang flew the Heinkel He162 as a Squadron Leader of the first jet fighter squadron. This revolutionary jet was demanding even for the most experienced pilots, many of them did not survive, but miraculously he survived 14 missions on this aircraft. He died on 30th October 2022 at the age of 100.
Aircraft Related to This Print
Me163

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