Akaflieg Danzig
The Akaflieg Danzig eV was a student group at the Institute of Technology of the Free City of Danzig , dedicated to the design, construction and flying of sailing and powered aircraft concerned.
history
The Academic Aviation Group was founded on July 3, 1923 at the Technical University in Gdansk by aviation enthusiastic students. Hasso Wiederholt, Wilhelm Huth and Otto Lienau were among the founders . Poland was denied access to the TH and thus also to Akaflieg. 15 students had already completed the Dz 1 with which the group took part in the 1st German coastal gliding competition in Rossitten . The hull of the Danzig was waterproof and buoyant at least for a short time, which is why the aircraft was nicknamed Boot Danzig . In 1924, Professor Lienau designed the Dz 2 dragonfly and the "wobble pot" on which the aircraft could be placed. The trainee pilot was able to learn to steer around three axes on the ground. The wobble pot was thus one of the early flight simulators .
Akaflieg Danzig was a founding member of the Association of Academic Aviation Groups (Idaflieg) , along with the aviation groups from Aachen , Berlin , Braunschweig, Darmstadt, Dresden, Hanover, Koethen, Munich and Stuttgart .
The glider operations took place at air camps in Rossitten and on Willenberg near Marienburg . Akaflieg took part in the Rhön competitions from 1925 to 1929 with its own aircraft. In the following years there was an increased focus on powered flight. The first powered flight instructor was Ferdinand Schulz , after whom the Dz 3 was named.
In 1928 Akaflieg Danzig joined the German Air Sports Association (DLV) as a corresponding member. In 1933, the time of National Socialism also affected the Free State. Akaflieg with 48 members became the Danzig-Langfuhr Fliegerortgruppe of Fliegerlandesgruppe XVI of the DLV and in 1934 a university working group in the DLV . For the Germany flight in 1934, the DLV assigned seven new Fieseler low-wing aircraft F 5 R to the group and five aircraft in the following year. The Danzig team came in 11th and 12th with 21 and 29 participants respectively.
Since the Reich had ended financial support for the Free City in many areas, the group lacked important donors. That is why the takeover by the German Aviation Research Institute ( DVL) was initiated by 1936 . The group, still Akaflieg Danzig eV, received new aircraft with German approval, its own workshop with a permanent foreman and a drawing room of the TH. The number of members exceeded 80, who started designing and building the Dz 4 Pinguin .
Comparative flights in Göttingen , the last Rhön competition and the student championships in Vienna shortly before the outbreak of World War II were the last highlights of 1939.
Aviation Technical Group Gdansk (FFG Gdansk)
With the annexation of Danzig to the Reich , the Akaflieg Flugtechnische Fachgruppe Danzig ( FFG Danzig ) became part of the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt eV. While most of the members were drafted, the remaining students were involved in the development of the measuring aircraft Mü 18 "measuring crow" . In 1942 the FFG received an order from the Reich for material testing. The last glider camps are documented for this year.
After 22 years, the club's history ended with the closure of the Danzig Technical University in January 1945.
Design of gliders and gliders
- Designs by Akaflieg Gdansk
- Dz 1 Boot Danzig (glider, 1923)
- Dz 2 dragonfly with "wobbling pot" (glider and simulator, 1924)
- Double room 3 Uncle Ferdinand (school glider, 1927)
- Dz 4 penguin (high-performance glider, 1938)
- Dz 5 (performance glider with 20 meter wingspan , 1938, unfinished)
- Dz 6 (cross-country glider, 1939/1940, unfinished).
- Design by FFG Danzig
- Construction of a measuring wing for the Mü 18 measuring crow (1940/1941).
Aircraft park
- Gliders 1923–1929
- Dz 1 – Dz 3
- School glider "DAGOMA" (1928–1929)
- Gliders 1937–1944
- DFS Rhönbussard (since 1937)
- Dz 4 Pinguin (since 1938, YM-PENGUIN )
- Grunau Baby IIA "Martens" (self-made, since 1938).
- Motorized aircraft 1930–1939
- BFW M 23b YM-AAL (1930-1935)
- Raab-Katzenstein Schwalbe YM-AAM
- Argus-Klemm YM-AAN
- two more in 1930
- four more by 1937
- four powered aircraft with German registration from 1937.
literature
- Ulrich Büttner: The history of Akaflieg Danzig: 1923–1963. (Festschrift) 1963. 78 pages.
- Frank-Dieter Lemke, Rolf Jacob: Danzig - politically explosive. In: Research - Build - Fly. The Academic Fliegergruppen (Akaflieg) in Germany until 1945. Part 2. Flieger Revue extra, Issue 30, July 2010, pp. 66–71.