Willy Messerschmitt

Wilhelm Emil Messerschmitt (June 26, 1898 – September 15, 1978) (known as "Willi" or "Willy") was a German aircraft designer and manufacturer. He was born in Frankfurt am Main, the son of a wine merchant. His stepfather was the American artist and Munich Academy Professor Carl von Marr.

Trial and post-war career

Following World War II, Messerschmitt was tried by a denazification court, and in 1948 was convicted of being a "fellow traveller". He was imprisoned for two years as the court found that he had used slave labour in his factories. When allowed to go free and return to work, it was on the condition that he was forbidden to manufacture aircraft. Instead, he turned his company to manufacturing prefabricated buildings, sewing machines, and small cars - most notably the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller. Exporting his talents, he designed the Hispano HA200 jet trainer for Hispano Aviacion in Spain in 1952 before eventually being allowed to return to aircraft manufacturing in Germany to licence-produce the Fiat G91 and then Lockheed F-104 Starfighter for the West German Luftwaffe.

Related Topics:
Denazification - 1948 - Sewing machine - Messerschmitt Kabinenroller - Hispano HA200 - Hispano Aviacion - Spain - 1952 - Fiat G91 - F-104 Starfighter

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Messerschmitt saw his company through mergers first with Bölkow in 1963 and then Hamburger Flugzeugbau in 1969, at which point it became MBB (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm) with Messerschmitt as chairman until 1970 when he retired. He died eight years later in hospital in Munich.

Related Topics:
Bölkow - 1963 - Hamburger Flugzeugbau - 1969 - 1970 - Munich

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