Hirth

Göbler-Hirthmotoren GmbH is an aircraft engine manufacturer based in Benningen, Germany.

The company was founded by Hellmuth Hirth in 1920 as Hellmuth Hirth Versuchsbau, renamed Leichtmetall-Werke GmbH and finally Elektronmetall GmbH as a manufacturer of light alloy engine components, including parts for aircraft engine components. In 1927, Hirth separated this part of the business, renaming it as Hirth Motoren GmbH (the remainder becoming Mahle). The first Hirth Motoren GmbH engine, the 4-cylinder inverted in-line HM 60, was released in 1931 and was fairly successful. An upgrade in the form of the HM 60R improved efficiency, and was followed by 6, 8 and 12-cylinder versions based on the same machinery. Over the next decade, Hirth became one of Germany's leading aero engine manufacturers.

Following Hirth's death in an aircraft crash in 1938, the "Reichsluftfahrtministerium" ("Reich aviation ministry") nationalised the company, and in 1941 it was merged with Heinkel to make Heinkel-Hirth. Although the existing engine series were continued, Heinkel also used the Hirth production facilities as a basis for work by Hans von Ohain on a series of jet engines as well, although for various reasons none was widely used.

Following World War II, this merger was dissolved, and Hirth was independent once again. Because of the prohibitions on German aviation during the Allied occupation, Hirth manufactured small stationary engines, as well as motors for snowmobiles. Eventually, Hirth returned to aircraft engine manufacturing in 1965, but in 1974 went into voluntary liquidation. The company was acquired by Hans Göbler, who returned it to making small two-stroke engines.

The beginnings of ultralight aviation in the 1980s created another opportunity to re-enter Hirth's original marketplace, and the company has been a notable builder of engines for these aircraft ever since.

Engines

Piston

*Hirth HM 60
*Hirth HM 504 - 4-cylinder air cooled inverted inline, 105 hp
*Hirth HM 506 - 6-cylinder air cooled inverted inline, 165 hp
*Hirth HM 508 - 8-cylinder air cooled inverted-V, 280 hp
*Hirth HM 512 - 12-cylinder air cooled inverted-V, 400 hp

Turbine

*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 001 - the first operational jet engine
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 003 - the first jet engine to fly
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 30 - aka 006, perhaps the best early German design, cancelled for what turned out to be very bad reasons
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 40 - "constant volume" combustion engine
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 50 - ducted-fan unit for long-duration flight
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 60 - HeS 50 with an additional turbine stage
*Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 - advanced twin-spool design, not completed

External links

* [http://www.hirth-engines.de Göbler-Hirthmotoren Company website]