| Histoire résumée | The Lippisch-Espenlaub E2 was the first of over 50 swept-wing, tailless designs produced by Lippisch over the next three decades. Though this first effort was less than impressive, it at least was a starting point from which Lippisch began serious, systematic development of tailless designs. In 1924, he was designated Director of the Aeronautical Department of the RhonRossitten-Gesellschaft (RRG, which later became the German Research Institute for Soaring Flight).
With limited resources at his disposal, Lippisch chose an unconventional, step-by-step method of developing his designs, testing the original concept first as a flying model, then as a man-carrying glider, and finally as a powered aircraft. Lippisch considered this approach would produce results in less time and with less expense than a wind tunnel research program. From this design philosophy evolved two famous series of tailless aircraft-the Storch (stork) and the Delta.
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