Highest Recognition for Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Radespiel: Awarding of the Ludwig Prandtl Ring
During DLRK 2026 in Aachen, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rolf Radespiel, a member of the SynTrac team, was honored with the Ludwig Prandtl Ring. Awarded by the German Aerospace Society (DGLR), this is its highest distinction in the field of aeronautics. It is presented annually to an individual whose outstanding original work across all aerospace disciplines has significantly advanced the field.
Roland Gerhards, the president of the German Society for Aeronautics and and Astronautics, presented Rolf Radespiel with the Ludwig-Prandtl-Ring, while Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schröder, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, gave the laudation that highlighted Rolf Radespiel’s exemplary contributions to the his field.
Photo: DGLR/Andreas Steindl
The award’s history dates back to 1956, when it was established by the Scientific Society for Aviation (Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Luftfahrt – WGL) in honor of the pioneer Ludwig Prandtl. More than just a trophy, the ring’s symbolism merges tradition with scientific spirit: the embedded rock crystal symbolizes altitude and the air, while the eagle, based on an ancient fibula from the Migration Period, is one of the earliest symbols of flight, representing freedom as well as the intellect.
The award recognizes Prof. Radespiel’s pioneering contributions to aerodynamic design and optimization, high lift, drag reduction, flow control, and the modeling of turbulent and transitional flows. Through his extensive research as a head of department at DLR, his leadership of the Institute for Fluid Mechanics at TU Braunschweig, and his commitment to aerospace research consortia and clusters of excellence such as SE²A, he has played a decisive role in increasing the efficiency and sustainability of aviation and drastically reducing environmental impacts through optimized aircraft concepts.
Within SynTrac, Prof. Radespiel leads sub-project A02, contributing a comprehensive evaluation method and the corresponding practical tools that enable the calculation of flow losses in aircraft and potential energy savings through propulsion integration.
With the awarding of the Ludwig Prandtl Ring, Prof. Radespiel joins an exclusive list of world-leading scientists, including figures such as Theodor von Kármán, one of the most significant pioneers of modern aerodynamics, who received the first ring in 1956. This honor underlines the scientific excellence within the SynTrac project and the international impact of our research.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our SynTrac colleague on this extraordinary achievement and the recognition of his lifelong contribution to aerospace research.
Photo: DGLR/Andreas Steindl
