Hellmuth Hirth (; April 24, 1886 – July 1, 1938) was a German engineer who founded the

Mahle GmbH MAHLE GmbH is a German automotive parts manufacturer based in Stuttgart, Germany. It is one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As a manufacturer of components and systems for the combustion engine and its periphery, the company is one ...

and

Hirth Hirth Engines GmbH is an engine manufacturer based in Benningen, Germany. It is currently a part of the UMS Aero Group. Hirth began manufacturing aero engines in the 1920s, was taken over by Heinkel in WWII to develop the Heinkel-Hirth jet en ...

companies, manufacturing engine components and complete

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years ma ...

s respectively.

Biography

Hirth was born in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Middle Ages, it developed into an important trading centre. A ...

, the son of engineer and tool-maker Albert Hirth. He was the elder brother of

Wolf Hirth Wolfram Kurt Erhard Hirth (28 February 1900 – 25 July 1959) was a German gliding pioneer and sailplane designer. He was a co-founder of Schempp-Hirth, still a renowned glider manufacturer.Segelflugbildkalendar 2011 Hirth was born in Stuttgart ...

who would go on to become a famous sailplane designer and manufacturer. As a young man, Hirth was sent to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

to train with the Edison General Electric Company as a mechanic. While abroad, he developed an interest in aircraft, and on his return to Germany in 1909 became involved with the emerging industry. He built his own aircraft in 1910 and soon went to work for the Zeppelin Company building

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

s. He also became a prominent pilot. Since 1914 he was a

Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High Ge ...

of the Fliegertruppe, winning the Iron Cross II and being severely wounded. In 1920, he founded his own company to manufacture engine components out of light alloys, and by 1927 split the company in order to focus more closely on the aero engine side of the business.

Death

On July 1, 1938, Hirth was killed in a plane crash in Karlsbad.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hirth, Hellmuth 1886 births 1938 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Germany German aerospace engineers Businesspeople from Baden-Württemberg People from Heilbronn German businesspeople in transport Engineers from Baden-Württemberg

Biography

Death

See also

References