Branch: Civillan
Born: 24 February 1898 Bromberg.
Died: 5 June 1983 Munich, Berlin, Germany.
Appointment's:
Rohrbach Metallflugzeug GmbH
Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Focke-Wulf
Flugzeugbau GmbH
Decorations:
Other: Personnel
Articles:
Kurt Waldemar Tank was born in Bromberg, on 24 February 1898
and became a German aeronautical engineer and test pilot,
heading the design department at
Focke-Wulf
from 1931 to 1945. He designed several important aircraft
of World War Two, including the
Fw 190 fighter aircraft.
Kurt Tank joined the Imperial German army and followed the
family tradition by enlisting with the cavalry. However, Kurt,
actually wanted to join the Luftstreitkräfte which was
the German imperial Airforce. Nevertheless Kurt conducted
himself extremely well and ended the war, with numerous medals
for bravery.
Kurt Tank went to the technical University of Berlin and graduated
in 1923. Kurt first job was with Rohrbach Metallflugzeug GmbH
where he worked on flying boats, and helped in the design
of the passenger aircraft Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland which was
a conventional strut braced high wing monoplane powered by
three engines. One in the nose and two mounted in nacelles
on the wings.
Kurt next employer was Albatros Flugzeugwerke where he worked
as a test pilot, However Albatros Flugzeugwerke went bankrupt,
due to financial climate. In 1929. But in 1931 Albatros Flugzeugwerke
was merged with
Focke-Wulf
Flugzeugbau GmbH
The first project undertaken by Kurt was
Fw
44 Stieglitz (Goldfinch) which was a two seat single engined,
civilian biplane, which incidentally was
Focke-Wulf
first commercially successful aircraft.
In 1936 Kurt designed
Fw
200 Condor which was four engined monoplane of all metal
construction that entered service as an airliner for Lufthansa
and later the Luftwaffe.
Fw
200 maiden flight was on 27 July 1937, with Kurt Tank
as pilot.
In 1939 Kurt Tank designed the famous
Fw
190 which was a single seat, single engined fighter aircraft
of all metal construction in which over 20,000 were produced
during the course of the war, which earned Kurt Tank the right
to use his initials as the designation for all future designs
such as
Ta
152,
Ta
153,
Ta
154,
Ta
183,
Ta
283,
Ta
400.
For a complete list of
sources
