BLENK

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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9.12.1901 Hersfeld/D - 6.10.1995 Braunschweig/D

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Hermann Blenk graduated at Göttingen University in 1924 and submitted a PhD thesis to Ludwig Prandtl (1875-1953). He continued there as an assistant first, was promoted in 1932 to scientific collaborator and to director of Deutsche Versuchs-Anstalt für Luftfahrt DVA in 1936. One year later he moved to Braunschweig as director of the Luftfahrt-Forschungsanstalt and as professor of aviation of the Technical University. After World War II he was a Lecturer first, and from 1955 to 1970 a full professor of applied mechanics at TH Braunschweig. From 1969 to 1972 he directed the research center of Deutsche Forschungsund Versuchsanstalt für Luftund Raumfahrt DFVLR in Braunschweig. Blenk was awarded in 1961 the Grosses Verdienstkreuz and in 1972 the Stern zum Grossen Verdienstkreuz of Germany. He also was decorated in 1962 with the Ludwig-Prandtl-Ring from WGL, and in 1989 the Citizen Medal of Braunschweig.

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Blenk may be considered the coordinator of German developments in scientific aviation. Following World War II, Germany had aeronautical establishments in all of its Counties. Blenk was able to found Deutsche Gesellschaft für Flugwissenschaften DGF in 1959 of which he was president until 1965.1969 then marked the year when all scientific organizations joined to DGF to establish the DFVLR thereby including space aviation in addition. This organization initiated in 1953 with a highly successful journal Zeitschrift für Flugwissenschaften which was renamed in 1976, however.

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_{Anonymous (1954). Tagung der wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Luftfahrt. Flugwelt 6(11): 317-319. P}

_{Blenk, H. (1925). Der Eindecker als tragende Wirbelfläche. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik 5(1): 36-47.}

_{Blenk, H. (1944). Strömungsforschung als Grundlage der Flugtechnik. Luftwissen 11: 3-10. Blenk, H. (1961). 25 Jahre Forschungsanstalt für Luftfahrt in Braunschweig. Braunschweig. Blenk, H. (1962). Recent German contributions to aerodynamics and flight dynamics. First Reynolds-Prandtl Lecture. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society 66: 617-630.}

_{Blenk, H. (1972). Erinnerungen an Ludwig Prandtl. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt DGLR Jahrbuch: 1-24.}

_{Poggendorff, J.C. (1953). Blenk, Hermann. Biographisch-Literarisches Handwörterbuch}

_{7a: 198-199, 8: 428-429. Akademie-Verlag: Berlin, with bibliography.}

_{Schulz, W. (1971). Hermann Blenk 70 Jahre. Zeitschrift für Flugwissenschaften 19(12): 523. P}