Gerhard Fieseler started his own company in 1930 in the former Segelflugzeugbau company at Kassel, Germany. Fieseler was a World War I German fighter ace with almost 20 kills to his credit, and became a world class competition aerobatic pilot. To compete in International competitions Fieseler designed and built the Fieseler F2 Tiger single-seat biplane, powered by a 450 hp Walter Pollux II air-cooled 9-cylinder radial.