Prof. Einstein in the aircraft production?

[rammjaeger]

Sorry, the beer should go to Aviatik!

Just some findings from research and personal experience:
As to Einstein's citizenship, some say he never reclaimed his German citizenship, others mention that he had in 1914, as a pre-condition to working at Kaiser Wilhelm. For that matter, Einstein was able to represent Germany at scientific conventions after the war, because he was a Swiss national; there's also a claim that he renounced his German citizenship in 1933 upon Hitler's ascent to power. Perhaps, from 1914 to 1933, Einstein was a dual-national (Swiss-German)?
He was a pacifist, actively and overtly opposing WW1 while in
Germany; he was a Zionist, visiting Palestine after the war; and he did describe himself, in a defending himself against the Nazis (and while still in Berlin), as liberal and international...
As to the name Einstein-- I believe that this was a common Jewish name in Germany and Austro-Hungary/Austria, but that was before the Halocaust. One of the protagonists in "Die Fledermaus" was named Einstein, nicht war? And, at least in the early 1980's, there was a café Einstein in West Berlin; it was, reputedly, the only kaffeehaus there where one could sit and linger over a cup of coffee while reading a newspaper (so much for the misconception that the Germans and the Austrians are really the same!)...
Ach, so, Rämmchen, personally, I don't BELIEVE that Einstein did any kind of 'war work', as this would have been so much opposed to his nature, and he was busy at the institute further developing his theory of relativity...
But let's wait until Aviatik presents his findings... he usually comes up with the damndest things and presents them clearly and logically...

[rammjaeger]

Hi Captain Lewis,

niece to hear your "voice" again! *

There is still an Einstein Coffee Shop AG existing in Berlin as well as a Forum and a Computer school in Germany earning this name. Concerning Einsteins biography I found reportedly he was not only in healthiness but also in financial trouble in this time. That could explain a participation in an aviation project despite of other convictions.

During my researches in the last time I have seen too many people (I mean aviators) acting in contradiction to their own convictions and social rules because of different, sometimes very selfish or even criminal reasons. *

I would not wonder if even the vita of the magnificant Einstein is showing him taking part in a project which is not fitting to his "normal" political and humanistic ideas (Did´t he take part in building or at least suggesting the construction of the atomic bomb too?). He could even convince himself in acting so with arguments like "Aerofoil experiments do not kill!".

O.K., let us wait for Aviatiks research. I know him as a well-informed and reliable researcher. Therefore I think he remembers the right facts but we will see ...

Whatever the outcome is I find the discussion interesting.

VBR
Rammjaeger

PS: Who do you do (and your little "tiger" as well)?

* * *

Didn't have chance to get that last night (the article from WWI Aero.) I'll check in over the weekend with that information. It is interesting... and a little humorous in some respects.

Aviatik

[Pfalzman]

There is currently an Einstein Cafe on the Rathausplaz in Vienna. They used to sell t-shirts there with the Big E's likeness on them-- can't remember if they had one with him wearing a leather flying helmet

You can check out the cafe and its live webcam at

www.einstein.at

[rammjaeger]

I got the following e-mail by Aviatik which is clarifying the matter finally in favour of my speculation: *

FREIBIER!!!

Einstein's WWI Aviation work...

Hannes,

Would you be so kind as to forward this to theaerodrome for me. My
connection to it kept crashing, so I thought you would get the information
just as soon via email.

The article, "Herr Dr. Prof. Albert Who? Einstein the Aerodynamicist That's
Who! or Albert Einstein and His Role in German Aviation in WWI" was
published in the Peter Grosz "Archiv" column in WWI Aero Vol. 118 February
1988 issue. (Pgs. 42-46)

The article tells why he moved back to Berlin following his work in Prague
and Zurich. He came back after he was invited to become the titular
professor of physics to assume the post of director of theoretical physics
at the prestigious Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in 1914. The article tells of
his interest in aerofoils and some of his experiments. He apparently
published a study in 1916 on the elementary theory of water and waves and
flight. It is thought that Einstein probably felt he needed to earn his
consulting fees and wanted to make a contribution. It tells of his "cat's
back" aerofoil and also tells what type of aircraft it was fitted to, the
LVG D9v, which was the company designation of the LVG C.II. D9 was the
design name and the v meant "vorn" or "forward" designating the pilot's
position up front. Einstein thought he was onto something and wanted to
design an airfoil with maximum lift with minimum drag capability. The
article gives dimensions of a test aerofoil that was submitted and test at
Goettingen. It also shows a polar diagram of the profile measurements.

(to be continued)

[rammjaeger]

Apparently the aerofoil was built and installed on an LVG C.II (D9v) and
test flights were flown prior to Dec. 15, 1915. The test pilot's name (one
of the test pilots) was Otto Reichert who flew for LVG and later left them
to join the Merkur company. Also, a Paul Ehrhardt is mentioned in the
article. His letter article about Einstein recalling those days was
published in INTERAVIA, Vol. X, No. 9 pg. 684 and is about the "Cat's back
airfoil." The LVG C.II that was fitted with Einstein's airfoil suffered an
engine failure, hit a power line when trying to make a dead stick landing
and crashed and burned. The flight tests had been inconclusive.

Further testing took place with aerofoil models at Goettingen.

The aircraft exhibited strange flight characteristics and the test pilots
only felt safe flying straight at low height at the airfield, the aircraft
flight characteristics not being deemed stable enough to attempt a turn.

What is interesting is Albert Einstein's good natured reply to an earlier
article about about this. He discusses that he didn't think the problem
through to the end. In 1954 Einstein describes his aerofoil inventions as
"folly" and that he was ashamed of those early days.

Anyway, that is the brief explanation of the article. Other sources for the
information were:

Interavia Vol. X, No. 9, and Die Naturwissenshaften excerpts.

That is it for now.

Regards,

Aviatik

Thank you, Aviatik, for that fascinating information. I should point out, though, that Einstein didn't become director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute until late 1917.

Also, at the risk of sounding unnecessarily picky, the aerofoil work described in the article must have been done in 1914-15, before the period discussed in the original question.

I would conclude that, yes, Einstein did do some theoretical work in aviation; but, no, he was not the Einstein who worked for Merkur in the final year of the war. So, Rammjaeger, I will buy you your bier. But you have to come to Toronto to get it.

[rammjaeger]

Michael,

remember
>>The test pilot's name (one of the test pilots) was Otto Reichert who flew for LVG and later left them to join the Merkur [!!!] company.<<

IMHO not only the test pilot left LVG to Merkur! I have often seen that a whole series of constructors, pilots etc. left one company to go to another. Additional we have only a consultant position here! Two Prof. Dr. Einstein and both working in the aviation industry - not very likely in my opinion.

Meanwhile I hold every bet: the Einstein at Merkur is Albert Einstein but only if this is proven as a fact then I am insisting on a beer for free *
and will maybe find my way to Toronto one day *8) (but that can last some years)! *

Only If anybody could show me an old address book of Berlin with a second Prof. Dr. Einstein - then I would start to doubt.

VBR
Rammjaeger

PS: I forgot to mention earlier the information about Einstein was written down by the military. The German (Prussian!) military reported very cool and sober - therefore I dont wonder about the missing of "magnificant" or a similar word for Prof Dr Einstein. As well the info for the book of the military was provided by the enterprises and the military relied on these info. That creats the opportunity of a "marketing trick" by Merkur but I doubt that too.

Michael

I already have Rammjaeger's snail mail address. If you send me yours I'll xerox the article and send you a copy if you don't have access to old issues of WWI Aero. I would suggest reading also the Interavia refs so that you are reading their words and not mine. I only typed in what I had time to. There is a lot more info in the WWI Aero article than what I had time to enter.

My comments also said, "he was invited to become the titular
professor of physics" in 1914. When that actually happened, as you say in 1917, could very well be. My message was just quoting the article.

Regards,

Aviatik