Bücker Bü 131
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| Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Basic trainer |
| Manufacturer | Bücker Flugzeugbau |
| Designed by | Carl Bücker |
| Maiden flight | 1934-04-27 |
| Introduced | 1935 (Luftwaffe) |
| Retired | 1968 (Spanish Air Force) |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Variants | Bü 133 Jungmeister |
The Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" (young man) was a Luftwaffe basic training aircraft of World War II.
Contents |
[edit] History
After serving in the German Navy in World War I, Carl Bücker moved to Sweden where he became managing director of Svenska Aero AB (SAAB). He later returned to Germany with Anders Anderson, a young designer from SAAB. "Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH" was founded in Berlin in 1932, with the first aircraft to see production being the Bü 131 Jungmann.
Sturdy and agile, the Jungmann was selected as the primary basic trainer for the German Luftwaffe. Production licenses were granted to Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Japan. In Spain, production continued at CASA until the early 1960s. The Jungmann was retained as Spanish Air Force's primary basic trainer until 1968, and the aircraft was eventually given a status equivalent to that of a national treasure.
About 200 Jungmann survive to this day, many having been fitted with modern engines, and are very much revered by those who fly them.
[edit] Operators
- Czechoslovakia (post war), Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
[edit] Specifications (Bü 131B)
Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II<ref name='jane'>Bridgman, Leonard, ed. “The Bücker Bü 131B “Jungmann”.” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. 158. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.</ref>
General characteristics<h3>
- Crew: 2: student, instructor
- Length: 6.62 m (21 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 7.40 m (24 ft 3 in)
- Height: 2.35 m (7 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 13.5 m² (145 ft²)
- Empty weight: 380 kg (840 lb)
- Loaded weight: 670 kg (1,500 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Hirth HM 504 four-cylinder inverted straight engine, 70 kW (100 hp)
<h3>Performance<h3>
- Maximum speed: 183 km/h (99 knots, 115 mph)
- Cruise speed: 170 km/h (92 knots, 110 mph)
- Range: 628 km (339 nm, 390 mi)
- Service ceiling: 4,050 m (13,300 ft)
- Rate of climb: 2.8 m/s (6,600 ft)
- Wing loading: 46.3 kg/m² (9.49 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 100 W/kg (0.064 hp/lb)
[edit] References
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