P.Grosz, G.Haddow, P.Shiemer Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One (Flying Machines)

Oesterreichisch-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik "Aviatik" GmbH
Muthgasse 38-38, Vienna XIX

  The Automobil und Aviatik AG of Muhlhausen-Burzweiler (Alsace) approached the Hungarian Ministry of Commerce in early 1913 with an offer to establish a small aircraft factory provided that the War Ministry would guarantee production orders. Although the Austro-Hungarian government sanctioned the venture in April 1913, financial support was not forthcoming, leaving Aviatik no option but to drop its proposal. A year later, on 3 July 1914, Aviatik and A. Weiser und Sohn AG of Vienna formed a joint undertaking known as the Oesterreichisch-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik "Aviatik" GmbH to build aircraft for the Luftschifferabteilung (LA). In fact Weiser, a Viennese coach and boat builder, had already been active in aviation but with unfortunate consequences. The Flugzeugwerke Weiser, organized in late 1913 under the direction of Karl Illner (formerly a director and chief pilot of the Motor-Luftfahrt-Gesellschaft), entered an elegant parasol in the Schicht Flug competition. When the new aircraft crashed on 24 April 1914, killing the designer Ingenieur Raimund Pitschmann, work on a Weiser biplane, scheduled to appear at the International Flugmeeting, was stopped. At the time, discussions with Aviatik were under way and a joint Aviatik-Weiser venture, enhanced by an LA order for seven Aviatik biplanes in May 1914, launched Weiser's aviation business.