Rumpler
| Industry | Manufacture of aircraft and automobiles |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Edmund Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | Edmund Rumpler |
| Defunct | 1925 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Successor | none |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Edmund Rumpler |
| Products | Aircraft, automobiles |
Number of employees | 3300 (1918) |
Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, commonly referred to as Rumpler-Werke or simply Rumpler, was a German company engaged in the production of aircraft and automobiles.
History
The company was established in Berlin in 1909 by the Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler under the name Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau. Initially, it produced licensed versions of the Etrich Taube monoplane, marketed as the Rumpler Taube. However, during the First World War, the firm shifted focus to designing and manufacturing its own reconnaissance biplanes, alongside a limited range of fighters and bombers.
From its inception as a limited liability company (GmbH), Rumpler transitioned into a joint-stock corporation, known as Rumpler-Werke AG, on 21 September 1917, with an initial capital of 3.5 million Marks.
By 1918, the workforce had expanded to approximately 3,300 employees stationed at its Berlin headquarters and at its subsidiary, Bayerische Rumpler-Werke AG, located in Augsburg.
Following the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, which prohibited Germany from producing aircraft, Rumpler pivoted towards the automotive sector. This led to the creation of a vehicle featuring one of the earliest effective aerodynamic chassis designs—the Rumpler Tropfenwagen—developed at the Augsburg facility. The car was unveiled at the 1921 Internationale Automobil Ausstellung held in Berlin.
Despite its innovative design, the automobile did not achieve commercial success. Consequently, Bayerische Rumpler-Werke AG entered receivership in 1923, followed by Rumpler-Werke AG in Berlin two years later. The company's assets were liquidated in 1926; on 30 July that year, the Augsburg plant was acquired by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, which later evolved into BMW.
Aircraft
- Rumpler 6B
- Rumpler B.I
- Rumpler C.I
- Rumpler C.III
- Rumpler C.IV
- Rumpler C.V
- Rumpler C.VI
- Rumpler C.VII
- Rumpler C.VIII
- Rumpler C.X
- Rumpler D.I
- Rumpler G.I
- Rumpler G.II
- Rumpler G.III
See also
Notes
References
- Gunston, Bill (1993). World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.
- Kroschel, Günter; Helmut Stützer (1994). Die Deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910–1918. Herford: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn.
- Rumpler, Edmund (1919). 10 Jahre deutsche Flugtechnik. Berlin: Ecksteins biograph. Verlag.