Bücker Bü 131 “Jungmann”

The Bücker company - formed in the early 1930s - specialized in the construction of training aircraft. The Bü 131 was the company’s first two-seated airplane developed for novice pilots. It was not only employed by numerous German flight schools, but also came to use in the training of military pilots. The aircraft was exported to several countries and licensed to Japan, where it was manufactured in large numbers. In Japan, too, the Bücker 131 Jungmann was employed in the training of military and non-military pilots. During the second world war some of the training aircraft were even equipped with bombs and sent on missions at the eastern front.

The developers focused on light-gauge design. Both the tubular scaffolding of the fuselage and the horizontal tail unit were covered with fabric. Just the cockpit and the cockpit were lined with light alloy. Thus a weight empty of 390 kilograms was achieved. The Hirth type engine with 105 hp was sufficient for achieving a maximum speed of 180 km/h. Cruising at a speed of 170 km/h the Bücker Jungmann had a range of approx. 650 km and could reach an altitude of 3000 meters.

Even today numerous aircraft of this type can be seen at flight shows.