German aviation engineer and inventor who made important contributions to airplane, helicopter, vessel, and automobile designs.
After serving Germany in both World Wars, Anton Flettner emigrated to the United States post World War II as a consultant to the office of Naval Research at the United States Navy.
Flettner revolutionized the art of harnessing the wind, used essentially in an unaltered form for thousands of years—the canvas sail—by a modern machine—the Flettner Rotor ship—that could permit ocean liners to reduce their crews by two-thirds and save 90 percent in fuel.
Although his wife was Jewish, he had a personal relationship with the head of gestapo, Heinrich Himmler. Himmler had Flettner’s wife and family escorted safely to Sweden for the duration of the war. Anton Flettner’s partner and confidant was Dr. Kurt Hohenemser, a brilliant and thorough engineer who developed the details necessary for the success of Flettner’s helicopters. Dr. Hohenemser’s father was also Jewish, yet both remained unharmed during their tenure together throughout the war as they worked to develop the helicopter for military use.
Upon the war’s conclusion, Anton Flettner was held in the “Dustbin” interrogation camp at Kransberg Castle. Flettner and his partner, Dr. Kurt Hohenemser, were among the first German emigrants into the United States after World War II, in 1947.
Flettner started Flettner Aircraft Corporation, which developed helicopters for the U.S. military. In 1949, Flettner employed Kurt Hohenemser as a consultant to the Flettner Aircraft Corporation.
Throughout his 14 years in the United States, Flettner was active in carrying out research projects for the US Army, US Air Force, and the US Navy.
Flettner became the chief designer of Kaman Aircraft and many of the Flettner design concepts are found in Kaman helicopters of later years.
Anton Flettner died at age 76 in New York City on 29 December 1961. Among his many distinctions, Anton Flettner was an honorary member of the American Helicopter Society and the Convertible Aircraft Pioneers.
Link to Wikipedia biography