The West German Aircraft Industry: A brief review of the main groups and the products and projects in Germany

A LATE take‐off, compared with other countries, has not stopped West Germany's aircraft industry from reaching for the heights. Prevented from making an early start by the Allies after the last war, the German aircraft manufacturers had to stand and watch its national airline, Deutsche Lufthansa, starting up again without being able to supply any aircraft for its use. Production of parts and later of whole aircraft only got off the ground under N.A.T.O. shields and through licensing schemes from foreign companies. German engineers had a long backlog to make up, both in skills and in experience and know‐how, but they eventually overcame those obstacles. They were helped by their friends who lad previously granted them production licences and encouraged by their Government to amalgamate into larger units. The latter was achieved more or less on a geographic basis: two loosely woven sets of co‐operative groups were created, one in the North and the other in the South of the country, named respectively Entwicklungsring Süd and Entwicklungsring Nord. Each component company maintains its own identity and is still able to continue its own research or production work or to look for partners for specific schemes in other countries.