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Ludwig Prandtl pp 87–114Cite as

The First World War

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Abstract

In the First World War, Prandtl’s Airship Model Research Institute was commissioned to carry out a number of aerodynamic investigations on bombs and parts of aircraft. In 1915, he received funds from the War Ministry for the construction of a large research centre which had little to do with airships and, after the war, was renamed the Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt (AVA) (Aerodynamics Research Institute). With the war contracts, Prandtl’s know-how about aerodynamics also grew and, during those years, Prandtl and his co-workers developed the theory of aerodynamic lift and induced resistance of wings (“aerofoil theory”). In addition, certain other phenomena (“cavitation”) on the propellers of U-boats and supersonic flow associated with bullets came into the field of vision of the Göttingen flow researchers with contracts resulting from the war.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Clark (2012).

  2. 2.

    Schroeder-Gudehus (1966), Tollmien (1993), Wolff (2003).

  3. 3.

    Maier (2007), Schirrmacher (2014).

  4. 4.

    Trischler (1996).

  5. 5.

    Busse (2008, p. 33).

  6. 6.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 118).

  7. 7.

    Prandtl to the curator, 25th August 1911, 9th August 1912, 27th April 1913 and 31st March 1914. UAG, Kur. 1456; Militärpass von Albert Betz, AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 24, No. 2.

  8. 8.

    Prandtl to the curator, 20th September 1914. UAG, Kur. 1456.

  9. 9.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 119).

  10. 10.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 121).

  11. 11.

    L. Prandtl: Ausbau der Göttinger Modellversuchsanstalt zu einem vollwertigen aerodynamischen Forschungsinstitut für Heer und Marine. Denkschrift, 26. April 1915. GOAR 2633. Reprinted in Wendel (1975, pp. 351–356) und Rotta (1990b, pp. 63–73); Please also refer to Rotta (1990a, p. 122) and Busse (2008, p. 164).

  12. 12.

    Reprinted in Rotta (1990a, pp. 124–126).

  13. 13.

    Harnack to the Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, 13th May 1915. AMPG, Abt. I, Rep.1A.

  14. 14.

    Prandtl to the curator, 7th June 1915. UAG, Kur. PA. Prandtl, Ludwig; vol.1.

  15. 15.

    Rotta (1990a, pp. 135–138). Please also refer in this context to the correspondence between Prandtl and Thoma in GOAR 2656.

  16. 16.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 142).

  17. 17.

    Busse (2008, p. 181f).

  18. 18.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 143). Please refer for a detailed account to the chapter on the First World War in the habilitation dissertation by Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

  19. 19.

    E. Trendelenburg, Aufzeichnung über eine Besichtigung der MVA in Göttingen, 27th October 1916. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 1467. Cited in Rotta (1990a, p. 143).

  20. 20.

    Prandtl to the commanding general of Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Army Air Service) (Ernst von Hoeppner), 20th March 1917. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 1467. Reprinted in Rotta (1990a, p. 151f).

  21. 21.

    Prandtl to Böttinger, 17th October 1917. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 161.

  22. 22.

    Prandtl to the commanding general of the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Army Air Service) (Ernst von Hoeppner), 20th March 1917. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 1467. Reprinted in Rotta (1990a, p. 151f).

  23. 23.

    Cited after Wendel (1975, p. 354). Please refer for a detailed account to the chapter on the First World War in the habilitation dissertation by Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

  24. 24.

    Cited after Busse (2008, p. 186f).

  25. 25.

    Cited in the chapter on the First World War in the habilitation dissertation by Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

  26. 26.

    Please refer to the correspondence with the Firma Goerz in GOAR 2703 and with the bomb department of the testing laboratory and dockyard of the Imperial German Army Air Service in GOAR 2704.

  27. 27.

    The expert opinion had had “a successful outcome”, a war historian (August Gilles), who was employed by the Luftwaffe, judged in 1942 in a manuscript on “The development of bombs, trippers and aiming devices for airships and aircraft in the First World War”. Cited in the chapter on the First World War in habilitation thesis of Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

  28. 28.

    Correspondence with the Sprengstoff AG in GOAR 152. Please refer to a detailed account in the chapter on the First World War in the habilitation thesis of Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

  29. 29.

    Eckert (2013a, Chap. 7).

  30. 30.

    Sommerfeld to Prandtl, 9th May 1915. Prandtl to Sommerfeld, 14th May 1915. GOAR 2666.

  31. 31.

    L. Föppl to Prandtl, 10th November 1916. In the private collection of the Vogel family.

  32. 32.

    Vogel-Prandtl (2005, p. 75).

  33. 33.

    Prandtl an Gutzmer, 20th February 1918. GOAR 3664.

  34. 34.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 168).

  35. 35.

    Trischler (1992, p. 94f), Beauvais et al. (1998, p. 38) and Rotta (1990a, p. 169).

  36. 36.

    Technische Berichte, vol. 1, 1917, Foreword, P. IV.

  37. 37.

    Hoff to Prandtl, January 1917. GOAR 1354.

  38. 38.

    Prandtl to Hoff, 1st March 1917. GOAR 1354.

  39. 39.

    Hoff to Prandtl, 16th May 1917. GOAR 1360.

  40. 40.

    Hoff to Prandtl, 5th March 1917. GOAR 1354.

  41. 41.

    Prandtl to Hoff, 9th and 19th July 1917. GOAR 1354.

  42. 42.

    Hoff to Prandtl, 13th February 1918. GOAR 1354.

  43. 43.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 170f).

  44. 44.

    Munk to Prandtl, 18th December 1912. SUB, Cod. Ms. L. Prandtl 5 (exchange of letters with applicants for positions of an assistant).

  45. 45.

    Prandtl to Munk, 9th March 1915; Munk to Prandtl, 10th March 1915; Munk to Prandtl, 25th March 1915; curator of the University of Göttinger to Prandtl and Munk, 18th May 1915. SUB, Cod. Ms. L. Prandtl 5 (exchange of letters with applicants for positions of an assistant).

  46. 46.

    In this context, please refer to the correspondence in GOAR 1300, 1354, 2641, 2647, 2703, 2704, 2705 and 8005.

  47. 47.

    Technische Berichte, vol 1, issue No. 4, 1st June 1917, pp. 85–96, p. 88f.

  48. 48.

    Technische Berichte, vol 2, issue Nr. 1, 20th December 1917, pp. 15–17 and Tables 11–22.

  49. 49.

    Technische Berichte, Band 1, Heft Nr. 5, 1st August 1917, pp. 135–147, here p. 135.

  50. 50.

    Technische Berichte, vol 1, issue No. 5, 1st August 1917, pp. 137–139. There other measurement parameters not elaborated here (pressure point; torsional moment) are described. The diagram can be found in the corresponding tables LXXIII to CLIII.

  51. 51.

    Technische Berichte, vol 2, issue 3, 1st August 1918, pp. 407–450, here p. 407.

  52. 52.

    Technische Berichte, vol 1, issue 4, 1st June 1917, pp. 98–102.

  53. 53.

    Technische Berichte, vol 1, issue 6, 15th October 1917, p. 203 and tables CLXXXVIII–CXCII.

  54. 54.

    Prandtl (1913b).

  55. 55.

    Betz (1914a, b).

  56. 56.

    Deutsche Flugzeugwerke GmbH to Prandtl, 17th May 1918; Prandtl to the Deutsche Flugzeugwerke GmbH, 22nd May 1918. GOAR 1360.

  57. 57.

    Munk (1919a, b), Betz (1919a).

  58. 58.

    Prandtl (1920).

  59. 59.

    Prandtl (1918, 1919).

  60. 60.

    Rotta (1990a, p. 188).

  61. 61.

    Please refer to Sect. 3.7.

  62. 62.

    Epple (2002a).

  63. 63.

    Technische Berichte, vol 1, issue 5, 1917, p. 145.

  64. 64.

    Technische Berichte, vol. 3, issue 7, 1918, pp. 309–315.

  65. 65.

    Deutsche Flugzeugwerke GmbH to Prandtl, 17th May 1918. GOAR 1360.

  66. 66.

    Prandtl (1921c, pp. 35–39).

  67. 67.

    Prandtl (1920, pp. 48–52). Regarding the chronology of the wing theory and objections to it in various accounts, please refer in particular to Epple (2002a, pp. 178–180).

  68. 68.

    Munk to Prandtl, 12th April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  69. 69.

    Munk to Prandtl, 7th April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  70. 70.

    Munk (1919a).

  71. 71.

    Prandtl to Munk, 10th April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  72. 72.

    Munk (1919b).

  73. 73.

    Munk to Prandtl, 12th April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  74. 74.

    Prandtl to Munk, 23rd April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  75. 75.

    Munk to Prandtl, 30th April 1918. GOAR 2647.

  76. 76.

    Prandtl to Munk, 4th May 1918. GOAR 2647.

  77. 77.

    Munk (1919b, p. 26). L. Prandtl: Votum zur Dissertation Munks, 18th June 1918. GOAR 2647. Munk took his oral doctoral examination on the 17th July 1918.

  78. 78.

    Munk (1919a).

  79. 79.

    Schlichting (1975a, p. 308).

  80. 80.

    Betz (1919b).

  81. 81.

    Prandtl to the Prussian War Ministry, 13th September 1918. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 2107. Please refer also to the exchange of letters of Prandtl with Cranz and F. Klein, 13th June to 30th September 1918. GOAR 2647.

  82. 82.

    Prandtl to the APK, 29th October 1918. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 2107. Please refer also in this context to Trischler (1992, p. 106).

  83. 83.

    Eckert (2006a, Chap. 7).

  84. 84.

    Correspondence with the Inspectorate of the Submarine Authority regarding experimental screws, 1917–1918. AMPG, III. Abt., Rep. 61, No. 2101.

  85. 85.

    For a more detailed account, please refer to the chapter on the First World War in the habilitation thesis of Florian Schmaltz (unpublished manuscript).

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  1. Deutsches Museum, Munich, Bayern, Germany

    Michael Eckert

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Eckert, M. (2019). The First World War. In: Ludwig Prandtl. Springer Biographies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05663-6_4

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