Woldemar Voigt (engineer)
Woldemar Voigt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | June 1980 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | German |
| Spouse | Clara Hollerung |
| Template:Infobox engineering career | |
Woldemar Voigt (born 10 February 1907 – died June 1980) was a German aerospace engineer notable for his involvement in the development of advanced swept-wing jet aircraft in Germany during the final stages of World War II.
Early life
Voigt was the grandson of the renowned German physicist Woldemar Voigt (1850–1919), who is credited with concepts such as Voigt notation, Voigt profile, and the Voigt effect, and who introduced the term tensor in 1898. Born in February 1907 in Göttingen, he was the eldest among four siblings. His father was Karl Voigt (1879–1965).
He pursued his education at a technical high school located in Darmstadt, situated in southern Hesse.
Klemm
Voigt began his professional career at Klemm, where he contributed to the design of the Klemm Kl 35 aircraft.
Messerschmitt
In 1933, he joined the Bavarian firm Messerschmitt.
At Messerschmitt, he served as project leader for several notable designs including the four-engine bomber Messerschmitt Me 264, the Messerschmitt Me 328, and the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. He also directed the development of the swept-wing jet fighter project Messerschmitt P.1101, which, although never completed by German forces, significantly influenced early American swept-wing jet fighter designs. Starting from October 1938, Messerschmitt commenced work on jet fighter concepts. From 1939 onwards, Voigt headed the Projects Department.[1] Among other designers at Messerschmitt was Wolfgang Degel.
In October 1943, the design division of Messerschmitt was relocated to Oberammergau in southern Bavaria near the Austrian border. Since 1953, this location has been home to the NATO School.
The concept of swept wings was pioneered by Adolf Busemann in October 1935. The first British aircraft featuring swept wings was the de Havilland DH 108, introduced in October 1945, which was a modified version of the de Havilland Vampire adapted by John Carver Meadows Frost.
Vought
Following World War II, Voigt was brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip.[2] He subsequently joined the American aerospace firm Vought, where one of his earliest projects included work on the Vought F7U Cutlass, an aircraft that incorporated data derived from German research on swept-wing jet technology.
Personal life
In 1935, he wed Clara Hollerung, who was born on 12 September 1911. He passed away in June 1980 in the United States at the age of 73. His residence was in Annapolis, Maryland.
See also
- List of German aircraft projects, 1939–45
- List of German inventors and discoverers
- Richard Vogt (aircraft designer), who subsequently joined Boeing
References
- ↑ Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika Bomber
- ↑ "Project Paperclip, Brigham Young University" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2023-12-22.