Fieseler
Encyclopedia
The Gerhard Fieseler Werke was a German
aircraft
manufacturer of the 1930s and 40s. The company is remembered mostly for its military aircraft built for the Luftwaffe
during the Second World War.
by World War I
flying ace and aerobatic champion Gerhard Fieseler
. Fieseler had been a manager for the Raab-Katzenstein
, but when this company went bankrupt, Fieseler bought a sailplane factory in Kassel and quickly turned it to building sports planes. At the same time, Fieseler still custom-built sailplanes for some of Germany's most prominent designers and pilots, including Wolf Hirth
's "Musterle" and Robert Kronfeld
's "Wien" and "Austria" (for many years the largest sailplane ever built).
In 1934, the company achieved prominence when Fieseler won the World Aerobatics Championship in an aircraft his company had built, the F2 Tiger
. This was followed by the highly successful F5
, generally regarded as a classic among sports planes. Even greater success was to follow in 1936 when an aircraft of Fieseler's own design won a tender for a new STOL
observation and liaison aircraft for the Luftwaffe
. Designated the Fieseler Fi 156
Storch (Stork), the company would produce over 3,000 during World War II. In 1939 the company name changed to the Gerhard Fieseler Werke.
Fieseler's other wartime production would largely consist of building other firms' aircraft under licence, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and Focke-Wulf Fw 190
. In 1941 however, a Fieseler project for an unpiloted flying bomb attracted the attention of the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - "Reich Aviation Ministry"). This went into production as the Fieseler FZG-76 (flakzielgerät, antiaircraft target), better known as the V-1.
The Fieseler factory was the target of many Allied air raids, but continued production throughout the war. Following the War, part of the factory continued in business for a few years, producing automotive components. Its most famous products, the Storch and the V1, continued to be produced by foreign companies.
Fieseler aircraft included:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
manufacturer of the 1930s and 40s. The company is remembered mostly for its military aircraft built for the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during the Second World War.
History
The firm was founded on April 1, 1930 as Fieseler Flugzeugbau in KasselKassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
flying ace and aerobatic champion Gerhard Fieseler
Gerhard Fieseler
Gerhard Fieseler was a German World War I flying ace, aerobatics champion, and aircraft designer and manufacturer....
. Fieseler had been a manager for the Raab-Katzenstein
Raab-Katzenstein
Raab-Katzenstein was a 1920s German aircraft manufacturer based in Kassel.The main character of the company was its designer Gerhard Fieseler. Following World War I, he returned to printing, but yearned to return to flying...
, but when this company went bankrupt, Fieseler bought a sailplane factory in Kassel and quickly turned it to building sports planes. At the same time, Fieseler still custom-built sailplanes for some of Germany's most prominent designers and pilots, including Wolf Hirth
Wolf Hirth
Wolfram Kurt Erhard Hirth was a German gliding pioneer and sailplane designer. He was a co-founder of Schempp-Hirth, still a renowned glider manufacturer....
's "Musterle" and Robert Kronfeld
Robert Kronfeld
Squadron Leader Robert Kronfeld, AFC, was an Austrian-born gliding champion and sailplane designer of the 1920s and 30s. He became a British subject and an RAF test pilot...
's "Wien" and "Austria" (for many years the largest sailplane ever built).
In 1934, the company achieved prominence when Fieseler won the World Aerobatics Championship in an aircraft his company had built, the F2 Tiger
Fieseler Fi 2
The Fieseler Fi 2, better known as the F2 Tiger , was a German aerobatic biplane which was flown to victory in the 1934 World Aerobatics Competition by the German aerobatics star, Gerhard Fieseler. Fieseler was a World War I German fighter ace with almost 20 kills to his credit...
. This was followed by the highly successful F5
Fieseler Fi 5
-See also:-References:* . Flight, 2 November 1933, p. 1100....
, generally regarded as a classic among sports planes. Even greater success was to follow in 1936 when an aircraft of Fieseler's own design won a tender for a new STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
observation and liaison aircraft for the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Designated the Fieseler Fi 156
Fieseler Fi 156
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market...
Storch (Stork), the company would produce over 3,000 during World War II. In 1939 the company name changed to the Gerhard Fieseler Werke.
Fieseler's other wartime production would largely consist of building other firms' aircraft under licence, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
. In 1941 however, a Fieseler project for an unpiloted flying bomb attracted the attention of the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - "Reich Aviation Ministry"). This went into production as the Fieseler FZG-76 (flakzielgerät, antiaircraft target), better known as the V-1.
The Fieseler factory was the target of many Allied air raids, but continued production throughout the war. Following the War, part of the factory continued in business for a few years, producing automotive components. Its most famous products, the Storch and the V1, continued to be produced by foreign companies.
Fieseler aircraft included:
- F2 TigerFieseler Fi 2The Fieseler Fi 2, better known as the F2 Tiger , was a German aerobatic biplane which was flown to victory in the 1934 World Aerobatics Competition by the German aerobatics star, Gerhard Fieseler. Fieseler was a World War I German fighter ace with almost 20 kills to his credit...
acrobatic sportsplane, 1932 - F5Fieseler Fi 5-See also:-References:* . Flight, 2 November 1933, p. 1100....
acrobatic sportsplane + trainer, 1933 - Fi 97Fieseler Fi 97|-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1812/3* -External links:*...
, competition and touring monoplane, 1934 - Fi 98Fieseler Fi 98-See also:-References:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2.* Herwig, D and H. Rode,Luftwaffe Secret Projects - Ground Attack & Special Purpose Aircraft, ISBN 1-85780-150-4....
, biplane fighter, 1936 - Fi 103 (V-1)V-1 flying bombThe V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
- Fi 103 Reichenberg, piloted suicide aircraft
- Fi 156 StorchFieseler Fi 156The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market...
(Stork), STOL reconnaissance aircraft - Fi 167Fieseler Fi 167|-See also:*Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia-References:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. New York: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN 0-385-05782-2....
, ship-borne torpedo bomber and reconnaissance biplane - Fi 333Fieseler Fi 333The Fieseler Fi 333 was a prototype transport aircraft developed by Fieseler, and backed by the Luftwaffe. The aircraft was to utilise detachable pods of varying sizes to carry cargo, a system that would allow a rapid turnaround on the ground...
transport (concept)