With the assistance of Wolf Hirth, Martin Schempp founded his own company in Göppingen in 1935: "Sportflugzeugbau Göppingen Martin Schempp". In 1938, Wolf Hirth, mainly responsible for the design work, officially became a partner in the company, which then took on the new name "Sportflugzeugbau Schempp-Hirth". The company relocated to Kirchheim-Teck the same year.[1] The company first manufactured a small training glider, the Göppingen Gö 1, intended to rival the Grunau Baby. The company's first real success, however, was the Gö 3 Minimoa, a distinctive aircraft with an elegant gull wing design that was used to break several world records and win championships around the world.
Hirth continued to direct the firm throughout World War II. In 1940 the company began manufacturing assembly parts for Messerschmitt Me 323 and Messerschmitt Bf 109 and other aircraft.
Wolf Hirth GmbH Aircraft Designations
Hirth Hi 20 - MoSe,* 1941 2-seat motor glider, span: 14.78 m
- Hi 20 MoSe: Based on Göppingen Gö 4 side-by-side seat glider
-- 1 x fold-away 25 hp Werner Krauter air-cooled 4-cyl engine
-- * MoSe is a contraction of Motorsegler (motor glider)
Hirth Hi 21 - 1944 2-seat side-by-side multi-purpose training glider
- Hi 21: Variable sweep wing, plywood fuselage, retract. u/c, x 1
Hirth Hi 22 - [Project] Wanderfalke cabin monoplane
- Hi 22: High-winged, rear-engined, single-prop pusher
- Hi 22: 2 x ?? HO4 engines, span 12.00 m, fixed trike
- Hi 22: 4-seater, belt connects staggered engines
-- 3 view: See Reply #15
-- Segel- und Motorseglertypen lists incorrect*
-- * Lists Hi 22 as a 2-seat motor-glider, span 16.00 m
Hirth Hi 23 - [Project] 1941 military transport glider, span 15.00 m
- Hi 23: Twin-fuselaged glider with rocket assist (800 or 1,000 kg)
-- see Reply #8, below
Hirth Hi 24 - [Project] 1944-45 single-seat obs. a/c, span 8.15m
- Hi 24: Single-seat twin-boom observation pusher monoplane
-- Scale model RC glider POC, 1 x pusher Eisfeld Modellmotor HO6
-- Hi 24 prototype const. begun late 1944, never completed
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=23989.0
