FOCKE

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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8.10.1890 Bremen/D - 25.2.1979 Bremen/D

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Henrich Focke had to interrupt his studies at Hannover Technical University because of World War I and stayed from 1917 at the German aviation center Adlershof, Berlin, where he met his later friend and partner Georg Wulf with whom he founded the Focke-Wulf Aviation Company in 1923. Wulf was deadly hurt after a crash in 1927. In 1930 the Focke-Wulf merged with Albatros aviation works and in parallel, Focke was invited as aviation professor to the Danzig Technical University. Focke, the maker, though refused. Although he was dismissed from his company once the Nazi had taken over power, he succeeded in designing mainly helicopters. His design Fw61 was flown first in 1936 such that he founded with the stunt flyer Achgelis a new company in 1937. The Germans asked Focke to design a transport helicopter, and the Fa223 and other types were used during World War II. After the war, Focke went to France where he presented an improved design of Fa320. Once back in Germany in 1948, Focke specialized in light-metal buses and boats. He moved to the Netherlands in 1951 first, then to Brazil one year later to continue the development of helicopters. Back in Germany in 1954, he presented the Kolibri helicopter, yet his partner went into bankruptcy and Focke again lost all. At an age of 71 he finally moved to his home town Bremen, where he passed away.

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Focke has greatly contributed to the German aviation industry and to progress in aviation in general. He was awarded a number of distinctions, among which the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1961, and the 1961 Ludwig-Prandtl-Ring of Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Luftfahrt WGL deserve mention. He will remain one of the great pioneers of aviation, with special contributions to the success of helicopters.

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_{Anonymous (1931). Dipl.-Ing. H. Focke. Illustrierte Technik 9(19): XVI. P}

_{Anonymous (1961). Verleihung des Ludwig-Prandtl-Ringes 1961. Jahrbuch WGL: 501. P}

_{Brüning, G. (1979). Henrich Focke. Jahrbuch DGLR (17): 17-19.}

_{Focke, H. (1932). Der Windkanal der Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG. Zeitschrift für Flugtechnik und Motorluftschiffahrt 23(11): 305-308.}

_{Focke, H. (1937). Das Tragund Hubschrauberproblem. Oldenbourg: München, Berlin. Focke, H. (1965). German thinking on rotary-wing development. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society 69(5): 293-305.}

_{Focke, H. (1977). Mein Lebensweg. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luftund Raumfahrt: Köln. P}