M.Dusing German Aviation Industry in WWI. Volume 1 (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 84)
AGO-Flugzeugwerke GmbH and Otto Flugzeugwerke
After completing his studies in 1909, Gustav Otto initially founded three companies in Munich: “Bayerische Auto-Garage GmbH” (B.A.G.), the “Akademie fur Aviatik” and “Aeroplanbau Otto & Alberti/Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenwerke”, although it should be noted that Gustav Otto initially devoted himself to aviation technology purely out of sporting interest. In 1909/10, he took over the German representation of Bleriot and the biplane manufacturer “Aviatik GmbH” from Mulhouse (Alsace).
The “Academy of Aviation” newly founded by Otto prompted him to move from Munich to Puchheim and, in the summer of 1910, to become the 34th German pilot to take his pilot’s certificate on an aviation flying machine with a 50 HP Argus engine. Otto then trained various pilots at his academy on the Puchheim airfield near Munich, including Ernst Udet (1896-1941) in 1914.
His “Aeroplanbau Otto & Alberti” was initially set up in 1909 at Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld, at that time a drill ground which G. Otto was allowed to use as an airfield by agreement with the Bavarian military authorities. In 1910, both opened a branch of the company in Puchheim, the seat of his Academy of Aviation. Puchheim had a newly opened airfield and thus offered quite good conditions for the repair and manufacture of flying machines. 40 employees and technical staff were initially only responsible for the production of replicas of the Bleriot monoplanes. With 40 employees produced mainly replicas of the Bleriot monoplane. The first Bleriot replica, the “Otto No.1”was christened the “Sperber“ (Sparrowhawk).
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