Heini Dittmar
Encyclopedia
Heini Dittmar was a German
glider pilot.
Inspired by the example of his glider flying brother Edgar, Dittmar took an apprenticeship at the German Institute for Gliding (DFS), and won first prize in his class in the 1932 Rhön Glider Competition, when he was 21 years old, with a self-built glider, Kondor.
After this he was engaged as a research pilot. In 1934 Dittmar together with Hanna Reitsch
and Wolf Hirth
were members of the German glider expedition to Argentina, where he achieved a new world record for altitude for gliders at about 4350 metres (14,271.7 ft). In 1934 Dittmar achieved a new world record for long-distance with the Fafnir II and was awarded the Hindenburg Cup
. In 1936 he achieved the first crossing of the Alps
in a glider. Dittmar crowned his career as a glider pilot with his victory in the 1st Rhoen international competition in 1937 as first Gliding World Champion.
During and after the Second World War Dittmar worked as an aircraft designer and test pilot
. On 2 October 1941 Dittmar became the first human to fly faster than 1000 kph in the Me-163 A V4 KE+SW
. This record was achieved over the FAI
specified 3 km distance and measured with an Askania
theodolite. On 6 July 1944 Dittmar reached a speed of 1130 kph with the Me 163 Komet BV18 VA+SP. He died in a crash in 1960, when on a test flight of a light aircraft of his own design, the HD-153 Motor-Möve, in the vicinity of the Essen
/Muelheim airport.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
glider pilot.
Inspired by the example of his glider flying brother Edgar, Dittmar took an apprenticeship at the German Institute for Gliding (DFS), and won first prize in his class in the 1932 Rhön Glider Competition, when he was 21 years old, with a self-built glider, Kondor.
After this he was engaged as a research pilot. In 1934 Dittmar together with Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch
Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator and the only woman awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Luftwaffe Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds during World War II...
and 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....
were members of the German glider expedition to Argentina, where he achieved a new world record for altitude for gliders at about 4350 metres (14,271.7 ft). In 1934 Dittmar achieved a new world record for long-distance with the Fafnir II and was awarded the Hindenburg Cup
Hindenburg Cup
The Hindenburg Cup was a German aviation prize, founded in 1928 and awarded annually by President and Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg to recognize achievements in powered flight...
. In 1936 he achieved the first crossing of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in a glider. Dittmar crowned his career as a glider pilot with his victory in the 1st Rhoen international competition in 1937 as first Gliding World Champion.
During and after the Second World War Dittmar worked as an aircraft designer and test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
. On 2 October 1941 Dittmar became the first human to fly faster than 1000 kph in the Me-163 A V4 KE+SW
Messerschmitt Me 163
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. Messerschmitt...
. This record was achieved over the FAI
FAI
FAI, used as an acronym, may refer to:* FAI armoured car, a Soviet military vehicle of the early 1930s* FAI Films, a defunct Australian film production company...
specified 3 km distance and measured with an Askania
Askania
Askania Cinetheodolite is a camera-based system that measures and records azimuth, elevation, and time data on 35mm film along with an image of a target. Multiple cinetheodolites generally operated together and each system is slewed in azimuth and elevation to track the target...
theodolite. On 6 July 1944 Dittmar reached a speed of 1130 kph with the Me 163 Komet BV18 VA+SP. He died in a crash in 1960, when on a test flight of a light aircraft of his own design, the HD-153 Motor-Möve, in the vicinity of the Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
/Muelheim airport.