Kurt Hohenemser
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kurt Heinrich Hohenemser (January 3, 1906 – April 7, 2001) was a German-born American
aerospace engineer Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...
and pioneer in the field of
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
design.


Life in Germany

Kurt Hohenemser was born on January 3, 1906, in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, to the German Jewish
musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...
Richard Hohenemser and his English wife Alice Salt.Szabó, Anikó. ''Vertreibung, Rückkehr, Wiedergutmachung: Göttinger Hochschullehrer im Schatten des Nationalsozialismus.'' Göttingen, Germany: Wallstein, 2000. He received his secondary education from the Goethe-Schule in
Berlin-Wilmersdorf Wilmersdorf () is an inner-city locality of Berlin which lies south-west of the central city. Formerly a borough by itself, Wilmersdorf became part of the new borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf following Berlin's 2001 administrative reform. H ...
,
Hermann-Lietz-Schule Haubinda The German rural boarding school movement () is a model of rural boarding school education designed to function more like a live-in community than traditional schooling models. The German pedagogue Hermann Lietz provided the philosophical unde ...
, and Ziehenschule in
Eschersheim Eschersheim is a city district of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is part of the ''Ortsbezirk Mitte-Nord'' and is subdivided into the ''Stadtbezirke'' Eschersheim-Nord and Eschersheim-Süd. Eschersheim, with a historical record beginning around 1 ...
. In 1924, Hohenemser received his
Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
. Hohenemser attended university at the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt from 1924 to 1929, receiving his
Diplom-Ingenieur An engineer's degree is an advanced academic degree in engineering which is conferred in Europe, some countries of Asia and Latin America, North Africa and a few institutions in the United States. The degree may require a thesis but always require ...
in 1927 and his
Doktoringenieur The Doktoringenieur or Doktor-Ingenieur (acronym Dr.-Ing., also ''Doktor der Ingenieurwissenschaften'') is the German engineering doctorate degree, comparable to the Doctor of Engineering, Engineering Doctorate, Doctor of Science (Engineering), ...
in 1929. From 1930 until 1933, Hohenemser taught and conducted research at the
University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...
under
Ludwig Prandtl Ludwig Prandtl (4 February 1875 – 15 August 1953) was a German Fluid mechanics, fluid dynamicist, physicist and aerospace scientist. He was a pioneer in the development of rigorous systematic mathematical analyses which he used for underlyin ...
, one of the most famous aerodynamics physicists during the 20th century. While at Göttingen, Hohenemser and his colleague
William Prager William Prager, before 1940 Willy Prager (23 May 1903 – 17 March 1980), was a German-born American applied mathematician. In the field of mechanics he is well known for the Drucker–Prager yield criterion. Biography Willy Prager was born on 2 ...
organized a political discussion group, to which they invited another colleague who supported the ideologies of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
. During these discussions, Hohenemser made comments critical of Nazi ideology. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, the colleague reported these statements, and Hohenemser was dismissed from his position at the university. After his dismissal, Hohenemser worked briefly for aircraft manufacturer
Gerhard Fieseler Gerhard Fieseler (15 April 1896 – 1 September 1987) was a German World War I flying ace, aerobatics champion, and aircraft designer and manufacturer. From birth to the 1918 armistice Born in Glesch (near Cologne), Fieseler joined the Imperial G ...
before going to work as a consultant for
Anton Flettner Anton Flettner (1 November 1885 – 29 December 1961) was a German Aerospace engineering, aviation engineer and inventor. Born in Hattersheim am Main#Eddersheim, Eddersheim (today a district of Hattersheim am Main), Flettner made important contri ...
's Flettner Flugzeubau GmbH, whose company specialized in the development and manufacture of helicopters. Kurt Hohenemser was an extraordinary engineer who developed the detailed designs required for the success of Flettner's helicopters. Hohenemser stayed with Flettner's company through the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Though considered Jewish by the Nazis because of his Jewish father, Hohenemser's role in Flettner's company provided protection for him and his family during the war. While at Flettner Flugzeubau GmbH, Hohenemser was instrumental in the development of the Fl 282 Kolibri. There were plans for
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
to mass-produce 1,000
Flettner Fl 282 The Flettner Fl 282 ''Kolibri'' (Hummingbird) is a single-seat intermeshing rotor helicopter, or ''synchropter'', produced by Anton Flettner of Germany. According to Yves Le Bec, the Flettner Fl 282 was the world's first series production helico ...
helicopters but they were disrupted when allied forces bombed the designated factory.


Life in the United States

Kurt Hohenemser emigrated from
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
with his family in 1947. Hohenemser and Anton Flettner were among the first German emigrants into the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Hohenemser and Anton Flettner, who together developed numerous patents in Germany, maintained close contact after both men emigrated to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. During 1949, Anton Flettner employed Hohenemser as a consultant to the Flettner Aircraft Corporation. Hohenemser later accepted a position as chief aerodynamics engineer of the helicopter division of
McDonnell Aircraft The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II ...
in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
,
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. In this role, Hohenemser oversaw work on such designs as the Little Henry, Big Henry, and the XV-1, a precursor of the
V-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-use, tiltrotor military transport aircraft, military transport and cargo aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed ...
. After working for
McDonnell The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II ...
for 18 years, he took a position as professor of aerospace engineering at
Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...
in 1966. He retired in 1975 but remained as emeritus professor for two more decades. From 1966 and beyond, Hohenemser shifted his focus from helicopters to wind turbines. Kurt Hohenemser, a longtime colleague and confidant of Anton Flettner, worked his remaining years in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
to prove Flettner's idea that properly designed flexible helicopter-type rotors are more suitable for producing electricity from the wind than rigid airplane-type rotors. An offshore wind energy project announced in February 2017, involving
Seawind Ocean Technology Seawind Ocean Technology B.V., a Netherlands based company, is a manufacturer (OEM) of integrated floating wind turbine and green hydrogen systems. Seawind is developing two-bladed floating wind turbines (6.2 Megawatt, MW and 12.2 Megawatt, MW) ...
B.V., aims to demonstrate the wind energy applications put forth by Anton Flettner, Kurt Hohenemser, and
Glidden Doman Glidden Doman (January 28, 1921 – June 6, 2016) was an American aeronautical engineer and pioneer in helicopters and modern wind turbines. He founded one of America's original six helicopter companies (Doman Helicopters, Inc.) after making major ...
in harsh wind and sea conditions. Kurt Heinrich Hohenemser died on April 7, 2001, in St. Louis, Missouri. Up until the age of 91, Hohenemser cross-country skied every winter and he rode a bicycle everywhere into his 80s out of concern for the pollution produced by automobiles. Hohenemser received many accolades during his career, among them the Grover E. Bell Award (1957) and the Alexander Klemin Award (1964) from the
American Helicopter Society American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
.


Photo gallery

Image:Flettner FL 282.jpg, Flettner Fl 282 ''Kolibri'' helicopter Image:Hohenemser_letter.jpg, Letter from Dr. Hohenemser regarding his association with Anton Flettner (page 1 of 2) Image:Hohenemser_letter 001.jpg, Letter from Dr. Hohenemser regarding his association with Anton Flettner (page 2 of 2) Image:Flettner 282 airborne.jpg, Flettner Fl 282 during flight trials after World War II, with US markings


Publications

*Kurt H. Hohenemser and Andrew H.P. Swift.
"Wind Turbine Speed Control by Automatic Yawing"
''Journal of Energy,'' Vol. 7, No. 3 (1983), pp. 237–242. *Gopal H. Gaonkar and Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"An Advanced Stochastic Model for Threshold Crossing Studies of Rotor Blade Vibrations"
''AIAA Journal'', Vol. 10, No. 8 (1972), pp. 1100–1101. *Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Attachment of Rotor Blades by Laminated Elastic Straps"
''Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences'', Vol. 19, No. 5 (1952), pp. 350–350. *Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Equations for the Approximate Solution of Dynamic Problems for Stable Linear Systems"
''Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences'', Vol. 16, No. 12 (1949), pp. 723–728. *Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Analysis and test results for a two-bladed, passive cycle pitch, horizontal-axis wind turbine in free and controlled yaw"
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL-TP-442-7391, October 1995, pp. 1–134. *Richard von Mises and Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Theory of Flight (Dover Books on Aeronautical Engineering)"
Dover Publications; 1st edition (June 1, 1959), 672 pages. *Kurt H. Honenemser, Andrew H.P. Swift, D. A. Peters, Washington University Technology Associates, Inc., Solar Research Institute.
"A definitive generic study for sailwing wind energy systems : non-technical summary report : final report"
Golden, Colo.: Solar Energy Research Institute, 1979. *Kurt H. Honenemser, Andrew H.P. Swift, D. A. Peters, United States Department of Energy, Solar Research Institute
"The yawing of wind turbines with blade cyclic pitch variation : final report"
Goden, Colo. : Solar Energy Research Institute, 1981. *Kurt H. Honenemser, Andrew H.P. Swift, Washington University Technology Associates, Inc..
"The investigation of passive blade cyclic pitch variation using an automatic yaw control system : a subcontract report"
New York : American Solar Energy Society; Springfield, Va. : National Technical Information Service, 1982. *Kurt H. Hoheneemser, Robert A. Ormiston, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development, Flight Mechanics Panel.
"Hingeless rotorcraft flight dynamics"
euilly-sur-Seine, FranceNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization, Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development
974 Year 974 ( CMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Battle of Danevirke: Emperor Otto II defeats the rebel forces of King Harald I, who has invaded Nordalbingia (modern-day Ho ...
*Kurt H.Hohenemser.
"Die Methoden ƶur Angenäherten Lösung von Eigenwertproblemen in der Elastokinetik"
Springer-Verlag, Mar 9, 2013 - Technology & Engineering - 92 pages. *Kurt H. Hohenemser.

Springer, 1930 - 24 pages. *Richard von Mises and Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Theorie und Berechnung der Flugzeuge in elementarer Darstellung"
Springer; 6 edition (October 4, 2013), 402 pages. *Kurt H. Hohenemser.
"Die Methoden zur angenäherten Lösung von Eigenwertproblemen in der Elastokinetik"
Springer; 1932 edition (October 4, 2013), 92 pages.


References


External links


Guide to the Kurt Hohenemser Collection
at the
Leo Baeck Institute, New York The Leo Baeck Institute New York (LBI) is a research institute in New York City dedicated to the study of German-Jewish history and culture, founded in 1955. It is one of three independent research centers founded by a group of German-speaking J ...

Flettner Flugzeubau GmbH

Norwegian projectDr. Techn. Olav OlsenSeawind
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hohenemser, Kurt Engineers from Berlin 1906 births 2001 deaths Emigrants from Allied-occupied Germany to the United States German aerospace engineers Technische Universität Darmstadt alumni American people of German descent Washington University in St. Louis faculty Academic staff of the University of Göttingen