Hey!! Udet had a plane company!!

31 January 2001, 01:39 PM

From Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation, 1995:

"Udet U.1 to U.12 (Germany) - Udet-Flugzegeugbau was formed in the early 190s by World War I fighter ace Ernst Udet and others" ... "Also in 1923 the company built the U.5, a three-seat parasol-win cabin monoplane" ... "[The U.7] proved to be one of the most successful German light planes of the period"

...

"The company ceased to exist in 1926 and was succeeded by" German name... "(which [later] became Messerschmitt)" !!!

31 January 2001, 01:47 PM

Yes, you can read all about it in his autobiography, "Ace of the Iron Cross" (English title); he relates the problems he had building the prototype while overseers for reparations for the Allies were trying to shut him down. He later tells of his flying experiences in America (and he loved Americans!), Africa, and the Arctic. A great read, and damn near a great book!

31 January 2001, 06:34 PM

I can see why the name got changed... How exactly would one go about pronouncing the original?

1 February 2001, 10:47 AM

If memory serves me correctly, the original (German) title was "Ein Fliegerleben" ("A Flyer's Life"); phonetically, try "ine" (rhymes with "nine") "flea-gair (rhymes with "air") LAY-ben"...

Volker_Nemsch · 2 February 2001, 01:25 AM

An almost perfect phonetical translation! If I (a German) read your lines with English pronounciation it sounds approx. 98-99 % German.

More of this!

Volker Nemsch

2 February 2001, 03:04 PM

Danke schoen, Volker! My German grandmother would be extremely pleased by your kind comment.
Now, gentlemen, a challenge: Rickenbacker was convinced that Udet was murdered, and not a suicide. Imho, if you read Udet's book (and you really should make a point of it, it's worth every minute of your time!), I doubt that you could call him a "suicidal" type. He was artistic, suffered by losing some of his humanity in the war (it's all detailed-- could not shoot down what could have been his first kill-- closed in, aimed, but couldn't do it), but he was also fun-loving, was forgiving of others; well, you tell me...
Would our German friends have any insight or information about this? Again, Rickenbacker was convinced, on his own "investigation" (but I'm afraid I don't know just how much of an investigation it was; please consult one of the footnotes in his "Fighting the Flying Circus"), that it was a political murder.
Hals und Beinbruch!