Helmuth Hirth

[Mudflap Aviation]

Greetings, all!

While waiting for the phone to ring (or an Email to show up) (anyone need wings or ribs built?) I'm working on a translation project. The book is "20,000 Kiliometer im Luftmeer" and it's an autobiographical account of Mr. Hirth's adventures as a pilot during the pioneer aviation era. Last spring at the Klassic Welt Expo in Friedrichshaven (Lake Constance) I met Stefan Blumenthal, who is a great great nephew (or some such relation) to Helmuth Hirth, and he told me about this book. I offered to see about getting it translated into English.

After reading the book, I was convinced; it would be great to have it in English. So I'm working with a German friend of mine, who is a certified translator. I'm doing the proof reading. Phase one is assembling a worthy presentation to send to a publisher.

But my translator friend is not in aviation, and though I am, I still lack some of the terminology needed for this book, originally published in 1913. (I just build wings and cover airplanes) So with your permission, I would like to ask the Forum for help with this occasionally. I promise to add the Forum onto the acknowledgement page.

Here's a short excerpt:

We were very warmly received in Karlsruhe. It was here that the military pilots joined us. Leutnant (Lieutenant) Mackenthun, with Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) as his passenger, flying his sparkling-brand-new Aviatic Biplane for the practice flight, had the bad luck of having to reckon with setting the plane on the highest trees of the nearby woods. It was a peculiar sight, seeing the large bird swaying in the treetops. Both men were unharmed, still in their seats, and as Prince Heinrich called up to them, “Did anything happen to either of you?” came the answer from above, “No, everything here is in order”, a euphemism that caused a great deal of laughter on the ground.

If you know the German "ALLES IN ORDNUNG!" and how often you hear that here, it's even funnier.

First question:

What do you call the can that you use to prime fuel into the cylinders of a rotary engine? The German is "Benzinspritzkanne".


Respectfully submitted,
Shirley Girard,
Mudflap Aviation
Stuttgart, Germany