About Hans Jacobs
Lived 1907 – 1994 (aged 87). Hans Jacobs was a German military flight engineer and engineer.
Hans Jacobs (30 April 1907 in Hamburg – 24 October 1994) was a German sailplane designer and pioneer. In 1936, Hans developed self-operating dive brakes, on the upper and lower surface of each wing, for gliders. He designed the DFS 230 used in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael.
The DFS Olympia Meise was selected in 1939 as the glider for the 1940 Summer Olympics, but the games were cancelled. The design was taken up after the war and produced in large numbers in the UK by Elliotts of Newbury, in France by Nord Aviation, in the Netherlands and in Switzerland.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Hans Jacobs's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Hans Jacobs?
German aerospace engineer (1907–1994)
When was Hans Jacobs born?
Hans Jacobs was born on 30 April 1907 in Hamburg.
When did Hans Jacobs die?
Hans Jacobs died on 24 October 1994 in Siegen.
What was Hans Jacobs's occupation?
Hans Jacobs was a military flight engineer and engineer.
What nationality was Hans Jacobs?
Hans Jacobs was German.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hans Jacobs. https://biography.guide/hans-jacobs/
MLA: "Hans Jacobs." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hans-jacobs/.
Chicago: "Hans Jacobs." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hans-jacobs/.
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