Biography Hugo Junkers

junkers on airfield

junkers aeronautical work began in earnest @ age of fifty, when worked engineer hans reissner in aachen. reissner had developed all-metal aircraft, on work first started in 1909 @ brand heath, equipped corrugated iron wings built junkers & co. in dessau. iron wings patented 1 year later. junkers had wind tunnel built , invented hydraulic brake.

he had far-sighted ideas of metal aeroplanes , flying wings, necessities of war held him back. during world war i, government forced him focus on aircraft production. in 1915, developed world s first practical all-metal aircraft design, junkers j 1 blechesel (sheetmetal donkey), survived on display in deutsches museum in munich until world war ii. firm s first military production design in 1916–17 armored-fuselage, two-seat, all-metal sesquiplane known idflieg designation, junkers j.i, considered best german ground attack aircraft of war. during time, german government s idflieg military aviation inspectorate forced him merge firm anthony fokker s form junkers-fokker aktiengesellschaft on 20 october 1917. j.i s pattern of armored fuselage protected nose-mounted engine, pilot, , observer in unitized metal bathtub possible inspiration sergei ilyushin s later il-2 shturmovik (conceivably appropriate junkers did have manufacturing plant in fili, suburb of moscow, in soviet union in 1920s) similar armored fuselage design. 1918, firm, demonstrated preference monoplane-pattern airframe designs, had created world s first low-winged, single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft, junkers d.i, pioneered use of duralumin throughout airframe. however, d.i did not enter production until 1918. produced two-seat monoplane fighter, junkers cl.i. both postwar soviet aviation pioneer andrei tupolev , american aviation designer william bushnell stout owed hugo junkers in designs of earlier aircraft, benefited junkers corrugated, light-metal construction technique.

junkers (centre) w 33 pilots johann risztics (left) , wilhelm zimmermann (right), celebrating world record of 65 h 25 m non-stop flight @ dessau, july 1928

the junkers f.13 of 1919 first of several successful civil aircraft designs produced junkers flugzeugwerke: later designs include junkers ju 52/3m 1932. through variety of business initiatives, junkers active in founding , developing airlines around globe aiming sell them aircraft. airlines junkers played pivotal role in phases of development include deutsche luft hansa , lloyd aéreo boliviano. however, several business ventures failed wider economic or political problems hamstrung sound engineering plans. junkers had more ideas: massive four-engined g.38, nicknamed der grosse dessauer , delivered luft hansa, made no commercial trips many months repeatedly recalled factory improvements.

political position

junkers socialist , pacifist. these reasons, had several occasions cross swords german leadership. in 1917, government forced him partnership anthony fokker ensure wartime production targets met.

during 1920s in germany , among junkers employees, wide spectrum of political views present. every aspect of business , of environment, there differing opinions. members of many groups represented in junkers, aviation offered hope national renewal. varied views led lively internal corporate politics. in 1926, unable make government loan repayments after failed venture build planes ussr, lost control of of businesses. in 1931, appointed adolf dethmann, communist activist, managing director of remained of business.

upon 1933 machtergreifung, new nazi government interfered, , new reichskommissar of aviation, hermann göring, (who allegedly had unsuccessfully applied test pilot in 1920s) aimed make junkers tool of german re-armament. nazi authorities demanded ownership of hugo junkers patents , majority of shares of remaining companies. under threat of imprisonment, acquiesced, little avail; year later, under house arrest , forced leave dessau. died on 3 february 1935 in gauting near munich.