Roland Rohlfs

Test pilot Roland Rohlfs (1892 - 1974) was a distinguished American aviator.

Background

He was the son of Anna Katharine Green (Rohlfs), the famous American crime novelist, and her husband, actor and renowned furniture craftsman, Charles Rohlfs.

Flight airspeed record

Rohlfs flew a hydro-aeroplane called the "Dunkirk Fighter" for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company in 1918. Later that year he broke the flight airspeed record while flying a Curtiss Wasp, his speed was clocked at 163.1 mph (262.4 km/h).

Altitude record

In 1919 he broke another world record when he flew to an altitude of 34,610 feet in a Curtiss L-3 triplane (at - 47 degrees Fahrenheit).

See also