MTU Aero Engines AG is a German
aircraft engine
An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
manufacturer. MTU develops, manufactures and provides service support for military and civil aircraft engines. MTU Aero Engines was formerly known as MTU München.
History
While the
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
-based engine manufacturer
Rapp Motorenwerke
Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH was a German aircraft engine manufacturer based in Munich, Bavaria. Founded in 1913, the firm changed its name in 1917 to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW). The company later became known as after its engine-production a ...
, and subsequently
BMW, had produced aircraft engines since 1913, the modern company regards the formal date of its formation as being 1934, the year in which ''BMW Flugmotorenbau GmbH'' was
spun-off from BMW. This step was initiated by the
Ministry of Aviation
The Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply.
...
in order to disguise the planned rearmament of the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
– as a standalone
limited company
In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...
the ''Flugmotorenbau GmbH'' had less strict disclosure requirements. Additionally, BMW aimed at outsourcing the unforeseeable risk of contributing to the German rearmament. In 1936, BMW built an aircraft engine plant in
Allach near Munich, which are the headquarters of MTU Aero Engines today. In 1940, the plant was expanded significantly to start large-scale production of