Wolf Lemke | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 11, 1938 |
| Died | December 1, 2018 |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Glider design |
| Institutions | Rolladen Schneider, DG Flugzeugbau GmbH |
| Employer(s) | Rolladen Schneider, DG Flugzeugbau GmbH |
| Projects | LS-1, D-36 "Circe" (as part of Akaflieg Darmstadt) |
| Significant design | LS series of gliders |
Wolf Lemke (August 11, 1938- December 1, 2018) was a designer of gliders who worked for Rolladen Schneider [1] and after it was taken over in 2003, for DG Flugzeugbau GmbH.
He was one of the student members of the Akaflieg Darmstadt who designed the revolutionary D-36 "Circe" in the period 1962 to 1964. This team also included Heiko Fries, Klaus Holighaus and Gerhard Waibel. [1] While the members of the Akaflieg built the D-36 (V1), a common friend of the students – Walter Schneider – built a second D-36 (V2) in his shutters factory. Walter Schneider almost killed himself in it when he took a winch launch with a disconnected elevator but he parachuted to safety. Soon after the success of the D-36 Walter Schneider asked Wolf Lemke to design and build gliders professionally in his shutters factory – which then became a glider manufacturer as well.
His most significant design was the LS 1 which he first flew in May 1967. It was built by Walter Schneider, at first under the name Segelflugzeugbau Schneider OHG, but later as Rolladen Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH.
Two LS 1 prototypes flew in the German Championships in 1968: Helmut Reichmann and Walter Schneider placed first and second out of 44 competitors in the Standard Class. [2] All gliders designed by Wolf Lemke to date have the designation LS (Lemke and Schneider), including the LS-11 built by the Akaflieg Köln.