Biography
Richard Vogt was born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, a town in the Kingdom of Württemberg which at that time was a constituent state of the German Empire. He was the seventh child of twelve siblings. He was admitted to a school of universal literacy education in Stuttgart-Cannstatt. When he was a student at the school, he had an opportunity get to know Ernst Heinkel and to achieve his first aeronautical experience, which aroused his enthusiasm for flying.
In 1912, when he was 18 years old, Vogt built his first aeroplane. With this draft plane he tried to carry out first flight tests with the assistance of his friend. He carried out this plan with the permission of the authorities concerned in the heath of Mutlangen, a neighboring town of Schwäbisch Gmünd. Unfortunately the trial, which was performed under the observation of Ernst Heinkel, was not successful. After graduation from high school he was working for one year at an engine factory in Ludwigshafen.
With the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted in the ranks of the German Empire. However, he was injured in action and returned home. Then he received his pilot training in Halberstadt at his own request. He was discharged from military service in August 1916 and was able to work on projects at the Zeppelin works in Friedrichshafen. In that company he met Claudius Dornier. Vogt was impressed by Dornier, which encouraged him to strive to become an aircraft designer. After the war, he completed a two-year study course at the Technical University in Stuttgart, and subsequently served as an assistant to Professor Baumann at the university's Institute of Aeronautical and Automobile Systems until 1922. During that period he was awarded his first patent and received a doctorate degree. This was the beginning of his career as an aircraft designer.
On behalf of Claudius Dornier, Vogt was briefly sent to Italy, and from 1923 to 1933 he was dispatched to the Kawasaki Dockyard Company Limited (Kawasaki Aircraft) in Kobe, Japan, which was a licensed manufacturer of Dornier aircraft. In Japan he was appointed to the rank of chief designer, and he trained the young Japanese engineer Takeo Doi to be his successor. Doi later on designed the Ki-61 Hien . During that period Vogt designed several models including the KDA-5 Army Type 92 biplane fighter plane, KDA-2 Army Type 88 biplane reconnaissance, KDA-3 single-seat fighter, and a modified type of the KDA-5 Army Type 92-I biplane fighter (in cooperation with Takeo Doi).
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