{{Short description|German aviation engineer}} '''Egon Scheibe''' (28 September 1908 – 26 September 1997)<ref name=Merkur>[http://www.merkur-online.de/lokales/landkreis-dachau/leben-luftfahrt-10991.html "Ein Leben für die Luftfahrt: Luftfahrt-Pionier Egon Scheibe aus Dachau wäre am Sonntag, 28. September, 100 Jahre alt geworden"], ''[[Münchner Merkur]]'', 26 September 2008 {{in lang|de}}</ref><ref name=DBE>[https://books.google.com/books?id=IG3Rp8NAO8EC&dq=Egon+Scheibe&pg=PA792 "Scheibe, Egon"], ''Deutsche biographische Enzyklopädie'', ed. [[Rudolf Vierhaus]], vol. 8 ''Poeten – Schlüter'', 2nd ed., Munich: Saur, 2007, {{ISBN|9783598250309}}, p. 792 {{in lang|de}}</ref> was a German aviation engineer who, among other things, developed the [[Scheibe Bergfalke]] [[glider (sailplane)|glider]].
==Life and career== Egon Scheibe was born in [[Munich]] on 28 September 1908, the son of a bookbinder.<ref name=DBE/> He studied there at the ''[[Gymnasium (school)|gymnasium]]'' and the [[Technical University Munich|Technical University]]; beginning in 1928, while a student of aircraft construction, he worked on the models Mü-4 to Mü-13 of the [[Akaflieg München]] (Munich Academic Flight Group).<ref name=Merkur/><ref name=DBE/> After graduating in 1933, he worked in sport gliding until 1935. From 1935 to 1937, when he passed his master's examination in aircraft construction, he was chief of aircraft construction at the [[Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt]] (German Experimental Agency for Aeronautics, one of the predecessors of the [[German Aerospace Center]]), working at the [[Luftwaffe]] testing centre in [[Rechlin]], then from 1938 to 1945, despite never becoming a member of the [[Nazi Party]], he worked in the Air Ministry in Berlin developing new aircraft.<ref name=Merkur/><ref name=DBE/>
After World War II, he at first built bicycles, mini-cars and motorised tricycles, developed the Mü-13E [[Scheibe Bergfalke|Bergfalke]] design in [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]],<ref name=DBE/> then in 1951 in Dachau founded [[Scheibe Flugzeugbau]],<ref>''Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 2002–2003'', 93rd ed. Coulsdon, Surrey / Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group, 2002, {{ISBN|9780710624239}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=4r9TAAAAMAAJ&q=Hoffman+Scheibe+has+produced+hundreds+of+gliders+since+it+was+founded+in+1951+by+the+late+Dipl+Ing+Egon+Scheibe p. 169].</ref> originally in a barracks at the former [[Telefunken]] plant.<ref name=Merkur/> The first Bergfalke was produced the same year, and the company also produced the Spatz single-seater. Beginning in 1957, Scheibe turned to pioneering the development of powered gliders. By his 80th birthday, Scheibe Flugzeugbau had produced some 2,200 aircraft. Scheibe continued to be actively involved in the company to an advanced age, focussing on further development of single- and two-seater powered gliders. There were usually between 50 and 60 employees.<ref name=Merkur/>
He died two days before his 89th birthday.<ref name=Merkur/>
==Work== Scheibe's 1930 work with Akaflieg was a major part of the "Munich School" of sailplane construction. He pioneered the use of steel tubing in glider construction.<ref>Peter F. Selinger, "Scheibe Flugzeugbau: A Look Behind the Curtain", ''Soaring'' 64 (2000) [https://books.google.com/books?id=fzVWAAAAMAAJ&q=pioneered p. 39].</ref>
After the war, his Mü-13E, continuing the Akaflieg series numbering, was the first post-war high-performance German sailplane.<ref>Martin Simons, ''Sailplanes: 1945–1965'', Königswinter: EQIP, 2002, {{ISBN|9783980797740}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=3szZAAAAMAAJ&q=The+first+high+performance+sailplane+to+appear+from+a+German+designer+after+the+war+was+the+Mu+13+-+E+two-seater+of+Egon+Scheibe.+The+new+type+deserved+a+new+number.+Scheibe+evidently+hoped+to+remind+potential+customers+of+his+very+ p. 67].</ref> He was one of the most important developers of motorised gliders and originated the touring motor-glider.<ref name=DBE/><ref>Jochen Ewald, [http://www.glidingmagazine.com/FeatureArticle.asp?id=117 "Scheibe's Tugs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121055850/http://www.glidingmagazine.com/FeatureArticle.asp?id=117 |date=2016-01-21 }}, ''Gliding Magazine'' 7/2001.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Scheibe, Egon}} [[Category:Engineers from Munich]] [[Category:1908 births]] [[Category:1997 deaths]] [[Category:German aerospace engineers]] [[Category:Technical University of Munich alumni]] [[Category:20th-century German engineers]]