Ernst Heinkel

Dr. Ernst Heinkel
File:Ernst Heinkel.jpg
Born	Template:Birth date Grunbach, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
Died	30 January 1958(1958-01-30) (aged 70) Stuttgart, West Germany
Occupation(s)	German aircraft engineer and manufacturer
Awards	German National Prize for Art and Science (1938)

Dr. Ernst Heinkel (born 24 January 1888 – died 30 January 1958) was a prominent German aircraft engineer and producer, recognized as a Wehrwirtschaftsführer during the era of Nazi Germany and affiliated with the Nazi Party. His firm, Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, was responsible for pioneering the world's first turbojet-powered airplane, the Heinkel He 178, as well as the initial rocket-propelled aircraft, the Heinkel He 176.

Early life

Heinkel’s birthplace was Grunbach, now incorporated within Remshalden. Early in his career, he trained as an apprentice machinist at a foundry. He pursued studies at the Technical Academy of Stuttgart, where his interest in aviation was sparked by his enthusiasm for Zeppelin airships. In 1909, he attended an international aviation exhibition held in Frankfurt am Main, which solidified his conviction that air travel represented the future of transportation. The following year, he constructed his first airplane based on plans by Henri Farman. Unfortunately, in 1911, he crashed this aircraft and sustained serious injuries.

Albatros Flugzeugwerke

Shortly after this period, Heinkel secured employment with Luft-Verkehrs Gesellschaft (LVG), a company manufacturing Farman-designed airplanes. Subsequently, he joined the ranks of Albatros. Post-war, Heinkel asserted that he was responsible for designing the Albatros B.II, a widely used reconnaissance and training aircraft during the early phase of the First World War, though its principal designer was actually Robert Thelen. His designs saw service with both the Austro-Hungarian forces and Germany’s Kaiserliche Marine throughout the conflict. After departing from Albatros, beginning in 1914, Heinkel developed multiple land-based and seaplane models for the Hansa-Brandenburg company.

Heinkel-Flugzeugwerke

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1982-1022-509, Flugzeugkonstrukteur Prof. Ernst Heinkel.jpg

Ernst Heinkel (right) alongside Siegfried Günter.

In 1921, Heinkel took on the role of chief designer at the newly re-established Caspar-Werke, but departed shortly after a conflict regarding the rights to a design. The following year, he founded the Heinkel-Flugzeugwerke company in Warnemünde. Due to the limitations imposed on German aircraft manufacturing by the Treaty of Versailles, Heinkel sought international contracts. Some of his seaplane designs were produced under license in Sweden, and he developed catapult-launched seaplanes for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Additionally, Heinkel installed a similar catapult system aboard the ocean liner Bremen to launch mail planes.

Circumventing Versailles Treaty Restrictions

From 1921 to 1924, Heinkel's firm received multiple orders from the Japanese government, which assisted him in evading the Versailles Treaty restrictions that prohibited military aircraft production in Germany. Japan, being part of the allied inspection commission, provided advance warnings of inspections by allied authorities. This allowed Heinkel to conceal his aircraft amid nearby dunes behind his factory, preventing discovery during these examinations. In his memoirs, Heinkel reflected that this early cooperation with Japan paved the way for decades of collaboration.

1933–1945

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-317-0043-17A, Flugzeug Heinkel He 111.jpg

Heinkel He 111P executing bombing runs over Poland, September 1939

Following Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, aircraft developed by Heinkel’s company became integral to the expansion of the Luftwaffe before and during the onset of the Second World War. Notable models included the Heinkel He 59, Heinkel He 115, and Heinkel He 111. In recognition of his dedication to rearmament efforts, the German government named him a Wehrwirtschaftführer (defense industry leader).

Heinkel had a strong interest in advancing high-speed flight and was eager to explore innovative propulsion technologies. He contributed aircraft to Wernher von Braun’s research into rocket propulsion for airplanes and supported Hans von Ohain’s investigations into turbojet engines. This backing culminated in the maiden flight of the Heinkel He 178, which was the first plane powered exclusively by turbojet propulsion on August 27, 1939.

Although critical of Hitler’s regime—particularly after being compelled to dismiss Jewish employees in 1933—Heinkel joined the Nazi Party, and received one of Germany’s most prestigious honors, the German National Prize for Art and Science, in 1938. Beginning in 1941, forced Jewish labor was employed at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke.

In 1943, directives from armaments authorities mandated restructuring his company into "Ernst Heinkel AG." While retaining two-thirds ownership, Heinkel assumed chairmanship of its supervisory board. Relocating to Vienna, he established new design offices and corporate headquarters in the Schwechat district near Vienna International Airport. Production facilities were set up in Zwölfaxing and Floridsdorf, forming the Heinkel-Sud complex. Meanwhile, the original Rostock-"Marienehe" plant (now Rostock-Schmarl) became known as Heinkel-Nord. It was at Heinkel-Sud where Dr. Heinkel developed the four-engine high-altitude heavy bomber design, the Heinkel He 274, part of a trio of successor proposals following the unsuccessful Heinkel He 177A heavy bomber project. These designs included an unrealized Amerikabomber concept. The firm continued production until war’s end with aircraft such as the single-seat jet fighter Spatz.

Post-war period

In July 1945, American forces apprehended Heinkel and detained him for potential interrogation or prosecution under Operation Dustbin. He was temporarily confined at Kransberg Castle near Frankfurt.

Following the Allied prohibition on German aircraft production, Heinkel repurposed his company's manufacturing capabilities to produce personal transportation vehicles. By 1953, the firm commenced manufacturing the Tourist scooter, which was succeeded by the Perle moped in 1954. The introduction of the Heinkel Kabine bubble car occurred in 1956. Production of bubble cars and mopeds ended soon after the ban on aircraft manufacturing was lifted, although scooter production persisted until 1965. In 1959, Heinkel's firm faced legal action from Edmund Bartl, who accused it of benefiting from forced labor during World War II; nevertheless, the German Supreme Court rejected Bartl’s lawsuit on grounds of statute of limitations and ordered him to cover legal expenses.

Death and legacy

Heinkel passed away in 1958 in Stuttgart. His memoir, Stürmisches Leben, was released in 1956 and later translated into English under the titles He1000 for the UK edition and Stormy Life: Memoirs of a Pioneer of the Air Age for the US edition.

In recognition of his contributions to aviation, Heinkel was posthumously inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1981.

Sources

• English Edition

External links

• Audio commentary by Erich Warsitz (world's first jet pilot) discussing Ernst Heinkel, Switzerland, August 2, 1979
• Template:20th Century Press Archives