Martin Schempp
Encyclopedia
Martin Schempp was a glider pilot
and founder of Schempp-Hirth
, a major manufacturer of gliders
.
Martin Schempp was born in Stuttgart
. After completing his commercial education, he helped out in his father's craftsman's business. In 1926, at the age of 21, he emigrated to the USA in the hope of finding better working conditions there. After working at various odd jobs, he finally found employment as a chemical laboratory technician at a steel mill. A talk by Charles Lindbergh
about his Atlantic crossing so inspired Martin about aviation that he returned to Germany in 1928 to learn how to fly. After completing his basic soaring training, he acquired his pilot's license for powered aircraft at the Klemm
company in Böblingen
. It was during this time that he met Wolf Hirth
, with whom he was to establish a close, lifelong friendship.
Martin Schempp returned 1929 to the USA to build German sailplane designs under license there at "Haller-Hirth Sailplanes" and to act as a soaring instructor at "Haller School Of Soaring Flight" in Pittsburgh (Greensburg Airport). Spectacular flights with a number of unintentional ditchings made him and soaring known in the USA. After his successes in the 2nd National Soaring Championships in Elmira, New York
(which is America's equivalent to the Wasserkuppe
, Germany's soaring Mecca) in 1931, he flew a distance of 63.7 miles and reached an altitude of 5,370 feet in this competition the following year. He won second place in the distance competition and first place in the altitude competition. Based on these successes, he earned silver C badge No. 8 (worldwide). He moved to California at the end of 1932, where he worked with Hawley Bowlus on his high-performance sailplane "Albatros".
In 1934, feeling that his professional prospects in the USA were too uncertain, Martin Schempp accepted an offer from Wolf Hirth, who was the head of the soaring school on the Hornberg at the time, to hire him as a soaring instructor there. With the assistance of Wolf Hirth, Martin Schempp opened in Göppingen
his own company in 1935: "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp". Martin Schempp proved to be an adept and circumspect head of production, who would succeed over decades in working with his employees to build high-quality sailplanes inexpensively. The Gö 1 "Wolf" and Gö 3 "Minimoa" became world-renowned sailplanes. In 1938, Wolf Hirth, mainly responsible for the design work, officially became a partner in the company, which then took on the new name “Sportflugzeugbau Schempp-Hirth
”. The company relocated to Kirchheim-Teck the same year. By 1939, the list of customers included clients from all continents except Australia. The Minimoa, 110 of which were built, is still regarded as one of the most beautiful sailplanes from the wood era.
In 1939, Wolf Hirth opened his own company in Nabern, which collaborated closely with Schempp-Hirth during the war. In addition to sailplanes for pilot training, the two companies supplied the two-seater Gö IV (designed by Wolfgang Hütter
); the Habicht
, an aerobatic glider, and wooden subassemblies for Messerschmitt
, the Me-321/323 "Gigant" and the Me-109 fighter.
In the eyes of the Americans, Martin Schempp had such great human integrity and recognition that they appointed him the interim mayor of Kirchheim unter Teck after the war – despite the formal "burden" of him being the head of a production facility for military products. He was relieved by an elected mayor in 1945 and once again devoted all of his time to the factory, now to manufacture urgently needed furniture and household goods using aircraft materials saved through the end of war.
When gliders were allowed to fly again in Germany in 1951, he ceded the sailplane market to Wolf Hirth. Only after Wolf Hirths' death in 1959 did Schempp-Hirth increasingly become involved in sailplane construction in addition to the construction of powered aircraft undertaken with Wolf Hirths' consultation and assistance. Martin Schempp acquired the license to build the best standard-class sailplane of its time, the "Standard Austria," and put it into mass production. Martin Schempp soon realized that the future would belong to composite sailplanes, and he therefore secured the assistance of Klaus Holighaus
. Klaus Holinghaus' first work for Schempp-Hirth was to increase the wingspan of the Standard Austria to produce the SHK
with 17-m wings. Upon arriving in Kirchheim, Klaus Holighaus implemented his ideas in the form of the composite sailplane for the Open Class – the Cirrus. Martin Schempp gave him free rein in this matter, which Klaus Holighaus used to produce the (wildly) successful Cirrus, Nimbus, Standard Cirrus and Janus.
After handing over management of the factory in 1969 and control of the company in 1972, Martin Schempp fully transferred the Schempp-Hirth company to Klaus Holighaus in 1977 and withdrew after 42 years of actively shaping, directing and accompanying its fortunes – still following its growth and successes with great interest and involvement.
Martin Schempp died after a long illness on July 9, 1984.
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
and founder of Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany.-History:Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth. The company was initially called "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp"...
, a major manufacturer of gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
.
Martin Schempp was born in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. After completing his commercial education, he helped out in his father's craftsman's business. In 1926, at the age of 21, he emigrated to the USA in the hope of finding better working conditions there. After working at various odd jobs, he finally found employment as a chemical laboratory technician at a steel mill. A talk by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
about his Atlantic crossing so inspired Martin about aviation that he returned to Germany in 1928 to learn how to fly. After completing his basic soaring training, he acquired his pilot's license for powered aircraft at the Klemm
Klemm
The Klemm Leichtflugzeugbau GmbH was a German aircraft manufacturer noteworthy for sports and touring planes of the 1930s.The company was founded in Böblingen in 1926 by Dr...
company in Böblingen
Böblingen
Böblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Physically Sindelfingen and Böblingen are continuous.-History:Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Württemberg acquired the town in 1357, and on 12 May 1525 one of the bloodiest battles...
. It was during this time that he met 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....
, with whom he was to establish a close, lifelong friendship.
Martin Schempp returned 1929 to the USA to build German sailplane designs under license there at "Haller-Hirth Sailplanes" and to act as a soaring instructor at "Haller School Of Soaring Flight" in Pittsburgh (Greensburg Airport). Spectacular flights with a number of unintentional ditchings made him and soaring known in the USA. After his successes in the 2nd National Soaring Championships in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
(which is America's equivalent to the Wasserkuppe
Wasserkuppe
The Wasserkuppe is a high plateau , the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains within the German state of Hessen. Between the first and second World Wars, during the era of the so-called Golden Age of Aviation, great advances in sailplane development were made there.Remark: The German wording takes its...
, Germany's soaring Mecca) in 1931, he flew a distance of 63.7 miles and reached an altitude of 5,370 feet in this competition the following year. He won second place in the distance competition and first place in the altitude competition. Based on these successes, he earned silver C badge No. 8 (worldwide). He moved to California at the end of 1932, where he worked with Hawley Bowlus on his high-performance sailplane "Albatros".
In 1934, feeling that his professional prospects in the USA were too uncertain, Martin Schempp accepted an offer from Wolf Hirth, who was the head of the soaring school on the Hornberg at the time, to hire him as a soaring instructor there. With the assistance of Wolf Hirth, Martin Schempp opened in Göppingen
Göppingen
Göppingen is a town in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the district Göppingen. It is situated at the bottom of the Hohenstaufen mountain, in the valley of the river Fils....
his own company in 1935: "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp". Martin Schempp proved to be an adept and circumspect head of production, who would succeed over decades in working with his employees to build high-quality sailplanes inexpensively. The Gö 1 "Wolf" and Gö 3 "Minimoa" became world-renowned sailplanes. In 1938, Wolf Hirth, mainly responsible for the design work, officially became a partner in the company, which then took on the new name “Sportflugzeugbau Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth
Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH is a glider manufacturer based in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany.-History:Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935, with the assistance of Wolf Hirth. The company was initially called "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp"...
”. The company relocated to Kirchheim-Teck the same year. By 1939, the list of customers included clients from all continents except Australia. The Minimoa, 110 of which were built, is still regarded as one of the most beautiful sailplanes from the wood era.
In 1939, Wolf Hirth opened his own company in Nabern, which collaborated closely with Schempp-Hirth during the war. In addition to sailplanes for pilot training, the two companies supplied the two-seater Gö IV (designed by Wolfgang Hütter
Wolfgang Hutter
Wolfgang Hutter is a painter, draughtsman, printmaker and stage designer. Hutter's imagery is characterised by an artificial paradise of gardens and fantastical fairytale-like scenes....
); the Habicht
Habicht
Habicht is a mountain in the Stubai Alps of Austria. For a long time, the locals believed it to be the highest mountain in Tyrol, due to its prominence above the surrounding mountains. Despite what they thought, the highest peak in the Stubai Alps is Zuckerhütl which is 230 metres higher than...
, an aerobatic glider, and wooden subassemblies for Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
, the Me-321/323 "Gigant" and the Me-109 fighter.
In the eyes of the Americans, Martin Schempp had such great human integrity and recognition that they appointed him the interim mayor of Kirchheim unter Teck after the war – despite the formal "burden" of him being the head of a production facility for military products. He was relieved by an elected mayor in 1945 and once again devoted all of his time to the factory, now to manufacture urgently needed furniture and household goods using aircraft materials saved through the end of war.
When gliders were allowed to fly again in Germany in 1951, he ceded the sailplane market to Wolf Hirth. Only after Wolf Hirths' death in 1959 did Schempp-Hirth increasingly become involved in sailplane construction in addition to the construction of powered aircraft undertaken with Wolf Hirths' consultation and assistance. Martin Schempp acquired the license to build the best standard-class sailplane of its time, the "Standard Austria," and put it into mass production. Martin Schempp soon realized that the future would belong to composite sailplanes, and he therefore secured the assistance of Klaus Holighaus
Klaus Holighaus
Klaus Holighaus was a glider designer, glider pilot and entrepreneur.Klaus Holighaus was born in Eibelshausen, Germany. He started his career in gliding when he was an engineering student at the University of Darmstadt, where he was a member of its Akaflieg...
. Klaus Holinghaus' first work for Schempp-Hirth was to increase the wingspan of the Standard Austria to produce the SHK
Schempp-Hirth SHK
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gliders and Sailplanes Of The World, Michael Hardy, Ian Allan, 1982, ISBN 0711011524* Schempp-Hirth Flight and Maintenance manual for SHK #49, Schempp-Hirth KG, kirchheim-Teck,March, 1965-External links:*...
with 17-m wings. Upon arriving in Kirchheim, Klaus Holighaus implemented his ideas in the form of the composite sailplane for the Open Class – the Cirrus. Martin Schempp gave him free rein in this matter, which Klaus Holighaus used to produce the (wildly) successful Cirrus, Nimbus, Standard Cirrus and Janus.
After handing over management of the factory in 1969 and control of the company in 1972, Martin Schempp fully transferred the Schempp-Hirth company to Klaus Holighaus in 1977 and withdrew after 42 years of actively shaping, directing and accompanying its fortunes – still following its growth and successes with great interest and involvement.
Martin Schempp died after a long illness on July 9, 1984.