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 Gustave Weisskopf, son of Carl Weisskopf, a carpenter, was born
on January 1, 1874 in Leutershausen. He spent a part of his early
youth and school years in Hochst on the Main River. At the age
of 13 he became an orphan and was brought up by his grandparents
in Ansbach. At the end of a short period of teaching, he left
his home(land). In 1888, in Hamburg, he was shanghaied" (forcefully
hired) by the crew of an Australian sail ship. It is said, that
during this first part of his life, he showed a great interest
in flying.
In the year, 1889, Weisskopf again returned to Germany, and joined
a family that emigrated to Brazil. From there he made many sea
voyages for several years, and there are only sparse clues as
to his whereabouts. While on board many kinds of ships, he became
familiar with wind and weather. The observation-of sea birds made
a permanent impression upon him. Years later he made a note of
a newspaper article, in which the question was asked, why should
it be denied to creative man, not to be able to master "the ocean
of air" after the oceans of the world. Toward the end of his year
of wondering, Weisskopf had to return to Germany, in order to
seek out the Lilienthal brothers. Otto Lilienthal had just published
his book, "Bird Flight As Basis of Flying". His brother,Gustav,
had returned from a five year stay in Australia.
There, in the port city, Sydney, Lawrence Hargrave had publicly
exhibited his first flying model. In 1894, in the USA, the first
glider flight with a registered instrument took place, and the
first American aviation club was founded. In England, Mr. Phillips
had his vaulted wing profile patented, and from France came the
news about M. Ader and his steam airplane. In these years of passing
from theoretical assertions to practical applications of human
flight, Weisskopf decided to remain forever in the United States
of America. To this talented man, the USA had to offer the most
favourable conditions, to put into effect his ideas about flying.
In 1895, we find Weisskopf as an immigrant in Boston. While people
in his homeland ridiculed Lilienthal, balloon flights were in
style as a gentlemen's sport. For the just founded Boston Aeronautical
Society, Weisskopf built a percusion wing plane (imitation of
a bird's flight) and a glider in Lilienthal's style. Only the
latter was capable of flying. Already, in 1897, news of "the personal,
artificial flight" of Gustav Weisskopf reached Germany by way
of newspaper reports. The manufacturer, Horsman, in New York,
hired Weisskopf as a specialist for hang gliders, aircraft models
and motors for flying craft. At this time, Weisskopf occupied
himself with the thought of providing a motor to drive one of
his gliders.
At the end of 1897, Weisskopf married the German- Hungarian, Louisa
Tuba, in Buffalo, New York. At the time of his marriage, he listed
his occupation as "Aeronaut". In the public library of the city
of Buffalo, he found professional literature about the current
developments of air craft flight developments. With this, there
began a period of his life whereby the study of relevant literature
broadened and furthered his practical experiments.
Now there followed a troubled time for the young family. Weisskopf
tried to bring into accord his enthusiasm for flying with his
responsibility towards his wife and child, after his first child
was born in 1898, in Baltimore. In the next year, we find the
family in Pittsburgh. There, Weisskopf found work in a coal mine.
He could not support himself from financial help and had to earn
his living expenses.
In spite of all obstacles, he constructed and built, in Pittsburgh,
an aircraft with a steam engine as drive. During the trials, the
take off was successful with a "boilerman", whether desired or
not, as a passenger and a flight in remarkable height. The distance
traversed by this flight is not known. Altitude and distance were
sufficient, in any case, to come to a crash landing on a roof,
into the forth floor of a house in a suburb of Pittsburgh. Weisskopf
remained uninjured, his "boiler man" suffered scalding from the
released steam. This steam, machine constructed by Weisskopf was
so ingenious, that several years later, L. Hargrave used miniature
designs of steam machines "Weisskopf Style" as well as "Weisskopf
System" for his model trials in Australia.
In the industrial city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in the United
States, Weisskopf found employment in 1900 as a mechanic. On account
-of his dangerous experiments, the police had chased him out of
Pittsburgh. At his new dwelling, he had space for a small workshop,
and neighbours, as well as police, must have had more understanding
for him. The periodical, "Scientific American", reported in June,
1901, of Weisskopf's new rebuilt hang glider (a term used at this
time for motor aircraft). Two months later, with the hang glider,
"No. 21", Weisskopf completed a flying distance of about 2.5 Km
in about 10-15 meters altitude. In so doing, he had proof that
it was possible to start a flight without artificial aids from
land and with two motor driven propellers, and to land without
damage. Weisskopf had recognized, just as today, that a successful
takeoff requires a definite minimum speed. On the other hand,
other aviation pioneers were using catapults for takeoffs.
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News of Weisskopf's flight spread quickly in the United States
of America and Europe. Mr. Moedebeck from Germany, asked his friend,
Octave Chanute, unbelievingly about this. Both experts had already
waited a long time for an announcement of this sort. They found
it hard to believe, that a plain factory worker alone could accomplish
this.
At the end of September, 1901, Weisskopf exhibited his successful
"No. 21." in Atlantic City. In the certainty that he was on the
right track, Weisskopf concentrated a lot of energy towards the
improvement of his motors. If he had been business orientated,
he could have lived from the manufacture and sale of aircraft
motors. Unfortunately, he did not have even sense for the most
simple price settings. He received orders for motors, as well
as offers from wealthy businessmen to let them put his inventions
to good use. With many orders, he paid extra, without even an
awareness. He lacked the necessary means to pay for the patent
protection of his inventions. His workshop was open, not only
to well-meaning visitors, but to everyone.
Just before the end of the year l901, Weisskopf accomplished the
first water landing by a motorized airplane. In the meantime,
he had constructed and completed the first diesel motor for aircraft.
He installed this diesel motor in his "No. 22" and on January
17, 1902, made a circular flight of about ll kilometre length
and a height of about 60 meters. Again there were press reports
in the United States, in France and in Germany. For the first
time, Weisskopf's accomplishment appeared in a German book as
a speed record (1903). In October, l904, Professor John J. Dvorak,
Professor of Physics at the University of Washington in St. Louis,
announced publicly, that Weisskopf was more advanced with the
development of aircraft than other persons who were engaged in
the work.
One of his financial backers applied with him, in 1905, for a
patent on a glider. In 1908,. Ch. Wittemann, an American aircraft
manufacturer, purchased a Weisskopf motor. In the following year,
Weisskopf’s motors were exhibited, offered in catalogues and installed
in the aircraft of other manufacturers of aircraft. How many of
his ingenious constructions, under the name of his benefactor,
brought financial gain cannot be ascertained. In this time, Weisskopf
experienced that other aviation pioneers were reaping the fame,
which he did not strive for, but which he deserved.
In 1911, people heard again of Weisskopf as he experimented with
his own helicopter project. No one was interested in the construction
of the helicopter with limited success. There appeared a customer,
who was also doing work on his own helicopter project, who was
only interested in one of his motors. Weisskopf accepted the order,
but could not, as often before, have the motor done within the
time limits of the customer. It could not be avoided, that Weisskopf
would someday get into trouble because of his poor business skills.
He had not figured on being sued. Completely inexperienced, he
lost the suit. His compete workshop, including construction documents
and finished parts were impounded. And so was removed from Weisskopf
the economic basis for any further activity as an aviation pioneer.
In poor health and blinded for years in one eye from an accident
at work, Weisskopf could not recover from this fatal blow. He
had never achieved American citizenship and was exposed to suspicion
as a “Hyphenated-American” for whom President Theodore Roosevelt
sympathized. In no case did Weisskopf belong to the “romantic
statistics” which a British historian believed to see in the German
immigration to America.
He experienced, with great feeling, Lindberg’s triumphant Atlantic
crossing by plane. On October 10, 1927, Gustav Weisskopf, in the
age of 53, died of a heart attack. To his family he left the self
built home and eight (8) dollars in cash. He was buried in a pauper's
grave.
The American, Stella Randolph, published in 1937, a first book
about Gustav Weisskopf and with it, accorded to him, a permanent
memorial in, the United States of America. William J. O'Dwyer,
a reserve officer of the U.S. Airforce, discovered in 1963, unknown
photos of Weisskopf's airplanes. Since then, he has dedicated
himself to research on Weisskopf. In 1964, Weisskopf was post
humously honoured by the State of Connecticut, his chosen home.
His grave received a worthy grave stone. A second book appeared
in 1966 about Gustav Weisskopf by Stella Randolph. It contained
new research and reports to her first book. Finally, in 1978,
a comprehensive portrait was published about the background of
the controversy about Weisskopf's honour as aviation pioneer,
by Stella Randolph and William J. O'Dwyer has the title, "History
by Contract The Beginning of Motorized Aviation'' Aug, 14 1901,
Gustav Whitehead, Fairfield, Conn., and appeared in the publishing
house of Fritz Majer & Son, 8801 Leutershausen.
The present status of air flight development is not only to be
traced back to a few glorified initial achievements. Many lesser
known aviation pioneers have a right to recognition, without national
reservation, for their share of participation in one of the universal
achievements of mankind. This it great measure applies to Gustav
Weisskopf
His birth city, Leutershausen holds his name and memory in honour.
In the spring of 1980, there was created, with the opening of
a museum, the basis of a collection, which establishes the proof
of the accomplishments of Gustav Weisskopf as a pioneer of motorized
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