Weser Flugzeugbau
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Fate | Merged with Focke-Wulf to form Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) in 1964 |
| Successor | Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) |
| Headquarters | Bremen , Germany |
Key people | Dr. Adolf Rohrbach (technical director from 1935), Horst Janson (trustee and chairman of Weser AG) |
| Products | Aircraft (e.g. Ju 188, Ju 388, Ju 86, Ju 87 Stuka, Fw 190, Weserflug P.1003 VTOL design) |
| Owner | Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG (DESCHIMAG) (parent company) |
Number of employees | 4,151 (at Tempelhof in 1944) (1944) |
| Parent | Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG (DESCHIMAG) |
Weser Flugzeugbau GmbH, commonly referred to as Weserflug, was a German aircraft manufacturer.
History
Established in 1934, the company operated as a subsidiary of the shipbuilding and machinery firm Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG (DESCHIMAG). Production commenced that same year at facilities located in Berlin Tempelhof and in Bremen.
In 1935, Dr. Adolf Rohrbach assumed the role of technical director at a newly opened Weserflug plant in Lemwerder, near Bremen, which began operations in 1936. Since 1933, Rohrbach had been advancing concepts related to VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, which he further developed during his tenure.
By 1938, Weserflug designed the Weserflug P.1003, a VTOL model featuring four propellers with a diameter of four meters that could pivot between horizontal and vertical orientations. This aircraft was capable of speeds up to 650 km/h. However, due to the intricate gearing system required to tilt the wings while maintaining consistent propeller power, the project was never realized.
World War II
Throughout World War II, Weserflug operated an additional manufacturing site in Liegnitz. This facility produced Ju 188 and Ju 388 bomber aircraft, with one Ju 388 now preserved at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Anticipating potential wartime developments, Weserflug's management relocated from Berlin to Hoykenkamp, approximately 15 km west of Bremen, in 1944. The company took over premises formerly utilized by Focke Achgelis.
Between 1940 and 1945, the Tempelhof factory assembled 5,215 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers and also produced Fw 190 fighter planes. The workforce included forced laborers; on 20 April 1944, out of 4,151 employees at Tempelhof, 2,103 were foreign forced laborers.
Additionally, the Lemwerder site manufactured Ju 86 aircraft.
Post-war period
Following the conclusion of the war, aircraft manufacturing in Germany came to a complete standstill for several years. In 1948, Horst Janson was appointed as a trustee to oversee the assets of Weser AG, the parent company of Weserflug. Janson played a significant role in Bremen's postwar industrial revival, including efforts to restart the shipbuilding sector, and he also joined Weser AG's board of directors. From 1945 until 1955, the production of powered aircraft was prohibited in Germany. During the 1950s, the Hoykenkamp district was utilized primarily by small enterprises.
By 1960, while continuing his involvement in Bremen's industrial redevelopment, Janson assumed the position of chairman at Weser AG. The following year, Weserflug collaborated with Bremen-based Focke-Wulf and Hamburger Flugzeugbau within the Entwicklungsring Nord (ERNO) consortium focused on rocket development. In 1964, Weserflug and Focke-Wulf officially merged to form Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW). Janson stepped down as chairman of Weser AG in 1969.
Aircraft
See also
References
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