L.F.A. Braunschweig
Together with Adlershof (D.V.L.) near Berlin one, maybe, world's largest institutes of its kind in the world
Reported by:
R.D. Hiscooks National Research Council, Canada
J.L. Orr National Research Council, Canada
J.J. Green Air Transport Board, Canada
BIOS Trip No: 1075
BIOS Target Nos:
C25/385, C2/662, 26/74
Report on Visit to Luftfahrtforschungsanstalt Hermann Göring, Volkenrode Brunswick.
The L.F.A. at Volkenrode was visited for a two week period commencing on 25 August 1945. This Institute is under the technical direction of Scientific Officers representing the Ministry of Aircraft Production who are endeavouring to reassemble as many of the former German scientific staff as possible and to place the equipment in running condition, in order to carry out calibration work and to learn as much as possible about the operation and functioning of the laboratories.
The L.F.A. occupies an area of approximately four square miles, including an airport, and has about sixty buildings as follows:
Aerodynamic Institute Ten
Structures and Materials Three
Engine Research Institute Eight
Weapon Research Institute Twenty Two
Flight Research Hangars Two
Workshops (Central) Four
Services Buildings Ten
Barracks Five
The majority of the buildings are completely hidden in woods and those that are exposed are cleverly camouflaged to look like farm buildings ...
The scope of the laboratories and the scale of equipment was most impressive. Money appears to have been no object and was freely spent here. Approval for the construction of the Institute was given in 1933 and construction was commenced in 1935. ..
The Institute was originally founded as an incorporated body for the prosecution of fundamental scientific research. As the war progressed this policy was changed gradually, owing to pressure from industry, until finally, the majority of the work being done was ad hoc tests concerned directly with the war effort. In many cases this pressure from industry prevented proper calibration of the equipment.
When the Institute was finally taken over by the M.A.P. (British Ministry of Aircraft Production) ...
It was noted that each main building had its own well-equipped workshop, in addition to the very large and impressive central workshops, well-equipped darkrooms and in addition each institute had its own library.
Interrogation of Prof. Blenk Director of the L.F.A. ... Prof. Prandtl - Seewald - Georgii and Baeumker (Bäumker?)
Research activities of the larger institutes were well coordinated by personnel contact. ..
To prevent overlapping, a Committee was set up in Germany to coordinate all work, both basic and ad hoc, in all wind tunnels in Germany, including those at the Firms ...
A total staff of 1500 persons were employed at L.F.A. including about 200 subjects to military training. Of this total, 150 were university graduates but Prof. Blenk only considered about 50 of them to be good research men ..
... For inexperienced graduates a salary of 321 RM per month was the usual starting wage. Within a short period of time this figure could be increased considerably if the man showed ability and promise. A good man could normally more the treble this salary.
The staff at L.F.A. were 100% civilian, including the pilots employed on flight testing. The airport was under civilian control even when, towards the end of the war, a Luftwaffe squadron was located on the airport.
Feuerlilie an air to air flying rocket and Hecht a ground to air rocket ..
Wind Tunnel A 2 .. The engine for the flying bomb V 1 ..
... The interferometer method of air flow study was also developed in this tunnel by Dr. Zobel ...
Interrogation of Dr. Eicke - Deputy Head of Aerodynamics Institute
The water tunnel was used for preliminary visual studies of air flow in ducts, slots, air intakes etc. ...
Interrogation of Prof. Busemann (Gas Dynamics)
Dive flaps for V-1 flying bombs were also tested in A 9 as well as Athodyne for the firms of Walther and Focke-Wulf ..
High Speed Tunnel A 2 .. Dr. Kerris (Wind tunnel instrument designer at L.F.A. - substituting for Dr. Zobel ..
.. All internal surfaces of the concrete is coated with Keratylen a rubberlike compound ..
Owing to the high humidity of the air at Volkenrode, condensation troubles have been encountered when running with open return ..
Large Hermann Göring Tunnel A 3 ..Dr. Eicke .. This tunnel is an open jet, 8 m diameter, closed return type with a maximum continuous speed of 83 m/sec and an overload speed of 93 m/sec ...
Small High speed Tunnels A 7 and A 7 .. German Staff Dr. Knackstedt ..
Wind Tunnel A 9 .. This sub-sonic, open-jet tunnel of circular section, 1 m diameter , ..
Wind Tunnel A 9 This is a supersonic tunnel with closed test section 94 cms. square ..
Ceramic Laboratory X-Ray Section ..Prof Dirksen, Dr. Trapp. Prof Dirksen stated that ..
Structures and materials laboratory Prof Dirksen and Dr. Ficker ...
Investigations of Interest Wood Construction ..
.. The Focke-Wulf company had attempted to construct an aircraft of wood; bearing more than a superficial resemblance to the Mosquito but were sorely handicapped by material shortages and lack of experience in wood design and fabrication.
.. the Focke-Wulf laboratory at Detmold ..
The brittle lacquer was developed by Dr. Herzog at Darmstadt. The main component is a resin "Copal" from a tree which grows in India .
Building A 14 .. This building was devoted to the development of mixing nozzles for bi-fuel rockets using predominately, hydrazine N2 H4 OH and T-Stoff (80% H2 O2 ). The main problem is to achieve efficient mixing of the two liquids and good ignition ..
Engine Research Dr. Baumert (Baeumert?), Dr. Havermann
M 11 Conductivity measurements were being made, under Dr. Schmidt's direction ..
Zeiss Kinotheodolit
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