Fritz Karl Preikschat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fritz Karl Preikschat
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Preikschat at Boeing (≈1965)
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| Born |
Fritz Karl Preikschat
September 11, 1910 |
| Died | September 2, 1994 (aged 83) Kirkland, Washington, U.S.
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| Nationality | German, American |
| Citizenship | Germany United States (after 1962) |
| Alma mater | Hindenburg Polytechnic |
| Occupation | Engineer and inventor |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Wasgindt (m. 1937–1994) |
| Children | Ursula Gallagher Ekhard Preikschat |
Fritz Karl Preikschat (born September 11, 1910, died September 2, 1994) was a brilliant engineer and inventor. He was born in Germany and later became an American citizen.
He invented many amazing things, holding over 23 patents in the U.S. alone. Some of his inventions include a special printer called a dot matrix teletypewriter, a system to help planes land safely in bad weather, and a way to improve satellite communication. He also worked on a hybrid car system and a microscope that uses lasers.
What's really cool is that he was the only engineer to work for both sides during the Space Race. He helped the Soviet Union with their early rocket program and later became a lead engineer for Boeing's Space division in the United States.
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Starting Out: His Early Career in Germany
Fritz Preikschat studied electrical engineering. In 1934, he graduated from Hindenburg Polytechnic in Oldenburg, Germany. After finishing his studies, he served in the Kriegsmarine, which was the German Navy.
During World War II, from 1940 to 1945, he worked as an engineer. He was a lab manager in the radar group of a company called GEMA. At the end of the war, his family had to leave their home. They moved to Dresden and survived the Bombing of Dresden in World War II. His family then found a new home in the Bavarian town of Amberg.
Helping the Soviet Union's Space Program
In 1946, Fritz Preikschat was one of many German specialists. They were brought to the Soviet Union as part of Operation Osoaviakhim. He worked as an engineer and led a high-frequency lab.
From 1946 to 1952, he helped with the early Soviet rocket program. He worked on important things like guidance systems for rockets. He also helped design a large tracking station. This station would be used to communicate with spacecraft far away.
Debriefed by the U.S. Army
In June 1952, Fritz Preikschat was allowed to leave the Soviet Union. He returned to East Germany. At that time, the Berlin Wall had not been built yet. This meant he could cross from East Berlin to West Berlin easily.
He quickly met an American military police officer. He spent two months in a safe house. There, he was debriefed by the U.S. Army. They wanted to learn about the Soviet Union's rocket program. He also wrote a detailed report for the Army about the Soviet Union's "Microwave-based Control System for Long-Distance Rockets."
In September 1952, he flew to Frankfurt, West Germany. There, he was finally reunited with his family. This ended a difficult six-year separation.
Inventing the Dot Matrix Teletypewriter
Between 1952 and 1954, Fritz Preikschat worked on a new invention. It was a special kind of printer called a dot matrix teletypewriter. His patent for this invention was granted in Germany in 1957.
In April 1953, he started working for a company called Telefonbau und Normalzeit GmbH (TuN). In 1956, TuN showed his new device to the German Post Office. However, they were not interested in it at the time.
Later, in 1966–1967, his dot matrix teletypewriter design was used at Boeing. It became the basis for a portable facsimile machine. This machine was tested for military use.
Moving to the United States
On June 28, 1957, Fritz Preikschat moved to the United States. He came as part of Operation Paperclip. This program brought German scientists to the U.S. He first worked for General Mills.
After that, he became a principal scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. There, he worked on satellite communication systems. In 1962, he officially became a U.S. citizen.
From 1959 to 1970, he worked mostly as a lead engineer. He was part of the Space Division at Boeing, near Seattle. He also spent some time at Honeywell.
Boeing: Blind-Landing System for Airports
In 1965, while working at Boeing, Fritz Preikschat invented a blind-landing system. This system was designed to help airplanes land safely. It would work even when pilots couldn't see the runway well.
His invention used a 3D display. This display would show a virtual landing strip. It would be placed right over what the pilot could actually see. However, this system was never put into use.
Boeing: Phased Array System for Satellites
In 1971, Fritz Preikschat was a lead engineer at Boeing in Kent, Washington. He worked in the telecommunications group of the space division. Along with two other engineers, he invented a phased array system. This system was designed to improve communication with satellites.
Boeing was given the patent for this invention. A technical paper was also written about it. This invention was so important that it won Boeing's Technical Paper Award for 1970.
F.P. Research Lab: New Moisture Meter
Between 1968 and 1974, Fritz Preikschat invented a new moisture meter. This device was made for pulp and paper mills. It could measure how much moisture was in paper products.
He helped start a company called F.P. Research Lab. The goal was to sell his new moisture meter. In 1979, a Swedish company called BTG AB bought F.P. Research Lab. This company works with the global pulp and paper industry.
Hybrid Car System
In 1982, Fritz Preikschat invented a new system for cars. It was an electric propulsion and braking system. This system was designed to make cars much more fuel-efficient. It did this by using regenerative braking. This means it would recycle energy from the car's braking system.
While his patent was not the only one for hybrid cars, it was very important. Over 120 later patents directly referred to his invention. This system was only patented in the U.S. and was not built or sold.
In 1997, Toyota introduced the Prius in Japan. This was one of the first companies to sell a hybrid electric car. It used technology like regenerative braking. In July 2000, the Prius was introduced around the world. It became America's best-selling hybrid electric car.
Lasentec: Particle-Size Analyzer
In 1989, Fritz Preikschat and his son, Ekhard Preikschat, invented something new. It was a scanning laser diode microscope. This microscope could analyze the size of tiny particles.
They started a company called Lasentec to sell this invention. In 2001, a company called Mettler Toledo bought Lasentec. About ten thousand of these systems have been installed worldwide. They have made over $1 billion in sales. These systems are mostly used in the pharmaceutical industry. They help control the crystallization process in large purification systems.
Images for kids
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Preikschat at Boeing (≈1965)
