Reiner Decher

In April 1945, American forces were sweeping eastwards toward Berlin, in part advancing across territory that would eventually become part of the Soviet Occupation Zone. As they advanced, US troops uncovered major parts of the manufacturing facilities and the people associated with the engines that powered Germany’s last generation of miliary aircraft: the jet fighters and bombers. Understandably, the engine technology involved in powering these aircraft, such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Arado Ar 234, was of great interest to the Allied nations. Among the many questions that needed to be answered was whether the Germans had made important breakthroughs in their successful use of these engines. Having made these discoveries and seizures, the American authorities needed to decide exactly what they would do with them. Would they share the bounty with the other Allies? American collaboration with the British was a fact. The French, while Allies, were, in American eyes, militarily unimportant in realizing the defeat of Nazi Germany. Sharing technology with them was not of great interest. The Soviets were far behind, but nevertheless ambitious and keen to catch up to western military capability. The Americans knew their relation to the Soviets was tense and confrontational: no sharing was likely there. From their perspective, Hitler’s jet engineers faced not only a lost war, but the economic and intellectual realities that work in Germany would not be available. They had technical knowledge and experiences that were undeniably valuable to the Allied victors. These nations would be engaged in a new competition for control of world affairs that would be called the Cold War. While the major technical interests were atomic bombs, guided missiles, and jet engines, it is the last of these that is explored here. What happened to the people and to the institutions they would staff? This is the story of some who found homes and work in the US and in France and some who were brutally abducted to the Soviet Union. This is also the story of American decisions made regarding the German jet engineers and the consequences for them as people and propulsion technology for American, French, and Soviet aviation. The competitive stance between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies was one of the key elements of the Cold War that followed. It led to a brutal Russian view and execution of war reparations that elevated the Soviet Union into a powerful position to challenge the West.

This untold story of early jet development, surviving the collapse of the Reich, and starting over in America is recounted by Reiner Decher, whose father Siegfried was an engineer on the team that designed the engine for the Me 262. Germany built the first operational jet aircraft during World War II, the Messerschmitt Me 262. Siegfried Decher was part of the engineering team that designed the engines that powered the 262. At the end of the war, Decher was nearly stranded in the Soviet Occupation Zone, but the US military made contact and offered a way out. As the principal responsible for a control system in the Jumo engine, Decher was of value to the Allies. Plans to evacuate during Operation Paperclip fell through. After a detour in France, Decher reached American shores several years later, where he enjoyed a successful career in the civil aviation industry. This untold story of early jet development is recounted by Siegfried's son, Reiner. Reiner, an accomplished engineer in his own right, constructs the story through a combination of his own memories and original letters and documents from his family archive.

This open access book is an introduction for the lay reader to understand the basics of flight. The exposure is to the mysteries of lift generation by wings and the basic function of the jet propulsion engine. The text relies on simple descriptions of the physics of air flow without unduly involving mathematics. The text is richly illustrated with sketches and photographs to enrich verbal descriptions. The book takes the viewpoint that a reader does not have a background in the engineering of airplane components but is interested in the subject. The description is in terms of easy-to-understand terminology, occasional use of humor, references to everyday experiences, and occasionally to an algebraic relationship when that is unavoidable. This book would serve a student aspiring to be an engineer to begin grappling with the phenomena involved and the techniques used to analyze these phenomena. The practitioner, as well as the beginner, in the art of flying an airplane is well served with the knowledge exposed here. The text makes no apology for technical complexity. Its introduction is rigorous and provides a sound footing for further study.

This open access book is an introduction for the lay reader to understand the basics of flight. The exposure is to the mysteries of lift generation by wings and the basic function of the jet propulsion engine. The text relies on simple descriptions of the physics of air flow without unduly involving mathematics. The text is richly illustrated with sketches and photographs to enrich verbal descriptions. The book takes the viewpoint that a reader does not have a background in the engineering of airplane components but is interested in the subject. The description is in terms of easy-to-understand terminology, occasional use of humor, references to everyday experiences, and occasionally to an algebraic relationship when that is unavoidable. This book would serve a student aspiring to be an engineer to begin grappling with the phenomena involved and the techniques used to analyze these phenomena. The practitioner, as well as the beginner, in the art of flying an airplane is well served with the knowledge exposed here. The text makes no apology for technical complexity. Its introduction is rigorous and provides a sound footing for further study.

The first efforts of man to fly were limited by his ability to generate sufficient power to lift a heavier-than-air machine off the ground. Propulsion and thrust have therefore been the most fundamental elements in the development of aircraft engines. From the simple propellers of the first airliners of the 1920s and 1930s, to the turboprops and turbojets of the modern era, the engines used in airliners have undergone dramatic development over a century of remarkable change. These advances are examined in detail by aeronautical engineer and author Reiner Decher, who provides a layman's guide to the engines that have, and continue to, power the aircraft which carry millions of travellers across millions of miles each year. Reiner Decher also looks at the development of aero engines during the Second World War and how that conflict drove innovation. He also explains the nature of wing design and how they provide lift and of the considerations of airflow over their surfaces, from the early days of the twentieth century to the present. To enable an easy understanding of this intriguing subject, Powering the World's Airliners is profusely illustrated, transporting readers back to the time of each major development and introducing them to the key individuals of the aero industry in each era. After reading this comprehensive yet engaging story of the machines that power the aircraft in which we fly, no journey will ever seem quite the same again.