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Günter Kappler was the professor of propulsion and director of the Department of Aerospace Engineering for almost 15 years. During this time he dedicated himself to fundamental research and oversaw the establishment of many testing facilities, including a gas turbine testing facility and one for combustors with flow velocities that could reach supersonic levels. Within his department, he developed a new kind of engine configuration that expanded on a core engine, from which a series of related engines could be derived. This invention was the basis of the BR700 engine series. Günter Kappler’s definitive participation as the director of research and development facilitated the development of the BR710 and BR715 engines within the BR700 series for BMW RR GmbH in a joint venture between BMW AG and RR plc. The engines could then be marketed worldwide. This was in fact the first license given to a civil engine developed in Germany. From 1999 to 2002, Günter Kappler was head of development at Fairchild-Dornier GmbH and oversaw the aircraft Do728 all the way to the point of its roll-out. As CEO and managing director of EPI, he developed – alongside corporate partners RR, Snecma, MTU and TIP – Europe’s biggest turboprop engine: the TP400-D6. From 2008 to 2014, Günter Kappler has been the technical director of Thielert Aircraft Engines and in charge of airworthiness for its successor company Technify Motors GmbH. Today he is a member of the advisory board of 3DSE Management Consultants GmbH, Munich. Throughout his time within the industry, he maintained close ties with TUM’s university life .

 

Short biography

1957 - 1966	Study of mechanical engineering, Polytechnic University of Timisoara, Romania; TU Darmstadt, Germany; University of Pittsburgh, USA
1967 - 1970	Academic assistant and doctoral studies, University of Karlsruhe
1971 - 1981	Development engineer, later chief head of the Component Design and Test Department, MTU Munich
1981 - 1982	Managing director of research and development, AVL, Graz
1982 - 1995	Professor of propulsion and director of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, TUM
1990 - 1999	Member of the executive board of BMW Rolls Royce GmbH, Oberursel
1999 - 2002	Head of development and director of development of the Do728 aircraft, Fairchild-Dornier GmbH, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
2002 - 2005	Managing director of EPI Europrop International GmbH, Unterschleißheim/Madrid
2005 - 2008	Member of the A380 and A400 (among others) program testing team for the EADS
2008 - 2014	Managing director of technology and airworthiness at Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH and its successor, Technify Motors GmbH
2015 - 2020	Advisor to the management of Kiwa Deutschland GmbH, Hamburg, for their strategic positioning
2016 - 2017	Technical consultant of the management of Dornier Seawings Co., LTD
since 2017	Member of the advisory board of 3DSE Management Consultants GmbH, Munich

 

Memberships and honors

Member of the Association of German Engineers (VDI) (since 1963)

Member and fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (since 1967)

Member of the technology forum for new transport systems for aeronautical and astronautical engineering of the German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (BMFT) – scientific commission AZURA (1987-1988)

Member of the German executive committee for hypersonic technology – BMFT-SÄNGER-PROJEKT (1988-1990)

Member of the board of management of the German aerospace research programs LuFo I and LuFo II (1990-1996); member of the assessment committee for LuFo III and LuFo V (2008)

Member of the advisory council of the German Aerospace Industries Association (1990-1997)

Member of the senate of the German Aerospace Cente (DLR) (1996-2001)

Chair of the scientific assessment committee of aerospace technology of the Helmholtz Association, Bonn (1996-2001)

Member of the senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (1998-2002)

Member of the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) and its senate
(1996-2005)

Consultant or the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology regarding the aeronautical and astronautical industry (2005-2008)

 

Awards

• Honorary professor of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Beijing University) (1996)
• German Federal Cross of Merit (1998)
• Honorary Needle from the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR)
• Ernst Messerschmitt Medal from the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) (1999)
• Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize (2000)
• Honorary Needle from the Associaton of Germen Engineers (VDI) (2002)
• Gold Medal from the British Royal Aeronautical Society (2004)
• Honorary doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania (2005)
• Honorary doctorate from the University of the German Federal Armed Forces, Munich (2006)
• Otto-Lilienthal-Medal from the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) (2006)
• Order of Merit of the state of Federal State of Brandenburg, "Roter Adler" (2017)

You can download "Explanations of honors and awards" here [PDF 215 KB]