During World War I, a German engineer named Otto Steinitz had a brilliant idea for testing aircraft engines and propellers. Instead of traditional methods, Steinitz proposed mounting these components on railcars and testing them on a special track.
Steinitz collaborated with another engineer, Carl Geissen, who designed a special engine mount for the railcars. The testing was carried out at the German Aviation Research Institute in Berlin, on a track built just for this purpose.
The results were impressive. The test railcar was able to reach speeds of up to 97 miles per hour (140 km/h) – incredibly fast for the time period. This allowed Steinitz and his team to thoroughly evaluate the performance of different aircraft engines and propellers in a controlled environment.
After the war ended in 1918, Steinitz continued developing his propeller-driven railcar concept. He designed a specialized two-axle car with a mount for an aircraft engine at each end. This unique vehicle became known as the Dringos-Wagen.
In May 1919, the Dringos-Wagen made a 25-mile (40 km) test run from the Grunewald district of Berlin to the town of Beelitz. The successful test demonstrated the potential of Steinitz’s innovative design.
Steinitz’s propeller-driven railcars represented an important step forward in aircraft engine and propeller testing. By taking these components out of the air and onto the rails, engineers could gather valuable data and optimize designs more efficiently. This work laid important groundwork for the continued advancement of aviation technology in the years after World War I.
