Hans Multhopp

Hans Multhopp
Hans Multhopp, holding a model of the Ta 183
Born	(1913-05-17)17 May 1913 Alfeld, Germany
Died	30 October 1972(1972-10-30) (aged 59) Cincinnati, Ohio
Nationality	German
Education	University of Göttingen
Engineering career
Projects	Focke-Wulf Ta 183 Martin XB-51
Significant design	Martin SV-5

Hans Multhopp (17 May 1913 – 30 October 1972) was a German aeronautical engineer/designer. Receiving a degree from the University of Göttingen, Multhopp worked with the famous designer Kurt Tank at the Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG during World War II, and was the leader of the team responsible for the design of the Focke-Wulf Ta 183 lightweight jet fighter, which was the winner of the 1945 Emergency Fighter Competition. Emigrating to the United Kingdom after the war, he assisted in the advancement of British aeronautic science before moving to the United States, where his work for Martin Marietta on lifting bodies provided aerodynamic experience that proved instrumental in the development of the Space Shuttle.

Born in 1913, Multhopp studied at the Technische Hochschule in Hannover, before transferring to the University of Göttingen in 1934. Studying there under the guidance of the famed aerodynamicist Ludwig Prandtl, who regarded him as his best student, Multhopp assisted in the design and construction of several gliders while working on a thesis on the subject of wing aerodynamics. During his time at the university, he also participated in experiments under the aegis of the Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt (AVA), the German counterpart to the American National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. In 1937, Multhopp was placed in charge of one of AVA's wind tunnels. More importantly he had already published a seminal paper on wing-lift theory and before he had fulfilled his doctoral requirements, his work had attracted the interest of other German aviation concerns. Consequently, Multhopp was approached by Kurt Tank in 1938, who offered him employment at Focke-Wulf.