As Hansa-Brandenburg's chief designer, Ernst Heinkel worked with a financier prepared to support him as long as he delivered dependable aircraft. Speed and rugged reliability were his principal design priorities, and his interest in speed later extended to turbojet research and long-range bomber designs. His relationship with Nazi Germany combined participation with objections to particular decisions. He protested the dismissal of skilled Jewish employees in 1933, yet joined the Nazi Party, supported rearmament, and accepted forced labor. In 1942, Hermann Goring had him detained until he agreed to sell a controlling interest in his factories. His objections and loss of control did not absolve him of participation in the regime's exploitation.
Notable Point · 15:00-20:45
Ernst Heinkel's speed-and-reliability design ethos
Ernst Heinkel's emphasis on speed and rugged reliability shaped Hansa-Brandenburg's naval aircraft, while his later career reveals a morally compromised relationship with Nazi rearmament.