In 1919, Wolfgang Klemperer, from the German-speaking minority in the kingdom of Bohemia (Czech Republic), fluid mechanics engineer and former air force lieutenant of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was transferred to the Dresden Technical University Aachen as an assistant in the laboratory directed by Professor von Karman. Klemperer was on his arrival in charge of leading the Flugwissenschaftlische Vereinigung Aachen (FVA): Association for the development of knowledge about the theft of Aachen (Aachen), which was formed in recent years around Paul and Stock Karl Fromm. Students Aachen burning desire to participate in the first contest of the Wasserkuppe had failed to establish a coherent project. Asked to suggest a topic of study, Klemperer hesitated before the short deadlines that separated the early tests and yielded to the pressure and the enthusiasm of the students. The glider then conceived project that was completely original and totally differed designs generally accepted by the small community of planeuristes of the time.
Three schools were confronted then:
- one looking for dynamic soaring by type of Chanute gliders, biplanes often, driven by movement of the body relative to the machine's center of gravity; landing and take-off was in the race;
- the other was to highlight the hypothetical pulsating wind structure that was thought to be the origin of the gliding of large seabirds. Gliders built to test these theories presented forms similar to those of birds. The blades were equipped with high camber profiles and exhibited great flexibility so as to absorb the most energy of the burst. This approach gliding met many followers. It resulted in the construction of very complex and very fragile gliders, never show that the horizontal winds could exploit, helped discredit the pioneers of gliding in the eyes of the aviation community;
- the third way in which s 'scored the project Klemperer still recruiting few followers. Its purpose was to achieve a dynamic gliding through gliders aerodynamic control surfaces. The overall design was similar to that of the aircraft, the goal was more to achieve high glide ratio a low sink rate.