Fieseler

Gerhard Fieseler Werke GmbH

Company type	GmbH
Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Predecessor	Segel Flugzeugbau Kassel
Founded	April 1, 1930 (1930-04-01) in Kassel, Germany
Founder	Gerhard Fieseler
Fate	Ceased aircraft manufacturing after World War II; shifted to automotive parts production
Headquarters	Kassel , Germany
Area served	Germany, Luftwaffe (World War II)
Key people	Gerhard Fieseler
Products	Military aircraft, sports aircraft, gliders, V-1 flying bomb (Fi 103)

The Gerhard Fieseler Werke (GFW), based in Kassel, Germany, was a prominent aircraft manufacturer during the 1930s and 1940s. The firm is primarily recognized for producing military aircraft utilized by the Luftwaffe throughout the Second World War.

History

Gerhard Fieseler, a celebrated World War I flying ace and aerobatics champion, acquired the Segel Flugzeugbau Kassel on April 1, 1930. By 1932, the company was renamed Fieseler Flugzeugbau. Prior to this, Fieseler had served as a manager at Raab-Katzenstein, but after its bankruptcy, he purchased a sailplane manufacturing facility in Kassel and swiftly redirected its focus toward sports aircraft production. Concurrently, Fieseler continued crafting custom sailplanes for some of Germany’s leading designers and pilots, including Wolf Hirth’s "Musterle" and Robert Kronfeld’s "Wien" and "Austria," which held the distinction of being the largest sailplane constructed for many years.

The company gained notable recognition in 1934 when Fieseler secured victory at the World Aerobatics Championship flying an aircraft produced by his firm, the F2 Tiger. This success was followed by the highly regarded F5, which is often considered a classic in the sports plane category. A significant milestone occurred in 1936 when one of Fieseler’s own designs won a competition against entries from both Messerschmitt and Siebel for a new short takeoff and landing (STOL) observation and liaison aircraft for the Luftwaffe. This aircraft was designated the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (Stork), with over 3,000 units produced during World War II. Additionally, in 1937, the company developed the Fieseler Fi 253.

On April 1, 1939, the company officially adopted the name Gerhard Fieseler Werke GmbH.

Throughout the war, much of Fieseler’s production involved manufacturing aircraft under license from other companies, notably the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190. However, in 1941, a project initiated by Fieseler for an unmanned flying bomb (Fi 103) caught the attention of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM - Reich Aviation Ministry). This design entered production as the Fieseler FZG-76 (flakzielgerät, meaning antiaircraft targeting device), more commonly known as the V-1.

Despite numerous Allied bombing raids targeting its facilities, the Fieseler factory maintained production throughout the conflict. After World War II, part of the plant continued operating for several years, shifting focus to manufacturing automotive parts. The company’s most renowned creations—the Storch and the V-1—were subsequently produced by manufacturers abroad.

Aircraft

File:Fieseler F 4.jpg

Fieseler F 4

The lineup of Fieseler aircraft comprised:

• F2 Tiger, an acrobatic sports aircraft introduced in 1932
• F3 Wespe (Wasp), an experimental flying wing developed around 1931
• Fieseler F 4, a two-seat sports plane from 1932
• Fi 5, initially designated F5, serving as both an acrobatic sports and trainer aircraft, released in 1933
• F 6, designed as a trainer and sport plane, dating from 1933
• Fi 97, a monoplane intended for competitions and touring, first flown in 1934
• Fi 98, a biplane dive bomber introduced in 1936
• Fi 99, a sport aircraft model
• Fi 103 (V-1), the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) designation for the V-1 flying bomb
• Fi 103R Reichenberg, a piloted variant of the V-1, developed in 1944
• Fi 156 Storch (Stork), a STOL reconnaissance aircraft, launched in 1937
• Fi 157, an unmanned target drone for anti-aircraft training, from 1937
• Fi 158, a research aircraft that was the manned counterpart to the Fi 157, built in 1938
• Fi 166, a jet fighter capable of vertical takeoff
• Fi 167, a shipborne biplane torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, introduced in 1938
• Fi 168, designed for ground-attack missions, dating to 1939
• Fi 253, a sport aircraft produced in 1937
• Fi 333, a transport aircraft concept developed in 1942

Gliders

• Kassel 12, used primarily as a training glider

See also

• List of aircraft of the Luftwaffe, World War II
• List of RLM aircraft designations
• Volksflugzeug
• Gerhard Fieseler
• Stall turn – also known as the hammerhead or Fieseler turn, an aerobatic maneuver involving a vertical stall and pivot