Bücker Bü 131

Bü 131 "Jungmann"
Role	Basic trainer
Manufacturer	Bücker Flugzeugbau
Designer	Carl Bücker
First flight	27 April 1934
Introduction	1935 (Luftwaffe)
Retired	1968 (Spanish Air Force)
Primary users	Luftwaffe Spanish Air Force Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Variants	Bü 133 Jungmeister

The German Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann" (Young man) was a 1930s basic training aircraft which was used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Development

After serving in the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I, Carl Bücker moved to Sweden where he became managing director of Svenska Aero AB (Not to be confused with Svenska Aeroplan AB, SAAB). He later returned to Germany with Anders J Andersson, a young designer from SAAB. Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH was founded in Berlin-Johannistahl,^[1] in 1932, with the first aircraft to see production being the Bü 131 Jungmann.

Bücker Flugzeugbau's first production type,^[1] the Bü 131A was the last biplane built in Germany.^[1] It had two open cockpits in tandem and fixed landing gear.^[1] The fuselage was steel tube, covered in fabric and metal,^[1] the wings wood and fabric.^[1] It first flew on the 80 hp (60 kW) Hirth HM60R.^[1]

In 1936, it was followed by the Bü 131B, with a 105 hp (78 kW) Hirth 504A-2.^[1]

Most wartime production for the Luftwaffe was by Aero in Prague.^[1]

Operational history

Sturdy and agile, the Bü 131A was first delivered to the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV).^[1] The Bü 131B was selected as the primary basic trainer for the German Luftwaffe,^[1] and it served with "virtually all" the Luftwaffe's primary flying schools during the war, as well as with night harassment units such as Nachtschlacht Gruppen (NSGr) 2, 11, and 12.^[1] Yugoslavia was the main prewar export customer; "as many as 400 may have found their way" there.^[1] She was joined by Bulgaria with 15 and Rumania with 40.^[1]

A Japanese Kokusai Ki-86A in 1945.

A still flying Spanish built CASA 1.131.

Production licenses were granted to Switzerland (using 94, 88 built under licence to Dornier),^[1] Spain (building about 530),^[1] Hungary (which operated 315),^[1] Czechoslovakia (10, as the Tatra T 131, before war began),^[1] and Japan, the last of which built 1,037 for Army with Hatsukaze power as the Kokusai Ki-86^[1] and 339 for the Navy Air Services as the Kyushu K9W.^[1] In Spain, production continued at CASA until the early 1960s. The Jungmann was retained as the Spanish Air Force's primary basic trainer until 1968.

About 200 Jungmanns survive to this day, many having been fitted with modern engines. In 1994, the Bü 131 was restored to production briefly using CASA jigs by Bücker Prado in Spain, with 21 aircraft constructed as the BP 131,^[1] while SSH Janusz Karasiewicz in Poland also started production of a version of the Jungmann based on Czech plans in 1994.^[2]

Variants

• Bü 131A : Two-seat primary trainer biplane. Initial production version.
• Bü 131B : Improved version, powered by the more powerful Hirth HM 504A-2 piston engine.
• Bü 131C : Experimental version, fitted with 67 kW (90 hp) Cirrus Minor piston engine. One built.
• Ki-86A : Japanese production version for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.
• Kyushu K9W1 : Japanese production version for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
• Tatra T.131 : Czechoslovakia, pre-war licence production in Tatra Koprivnice.
• Aero C-4 : Mass-produced in Aero factory in occupied Czechoslovakia during wartime under original Bücker Bü 131B designation, used postwar with original Hirth engine.
• Aero C-104 : Czechoslovakia, postwar development with a Walter Minor 4-III engine, 260 aircraft built.
• CASA 1.131 : Spanish license-built versions
• BP 131 : modern license-built version
• SSH T-131P : Pre-production modern Polish version, powered by 78 kW (105 hp) Walter Minor 4-III engine. Four built from 1994.^[2]
• SSH T-131PA :Main Polish production version, with 103 kW (138 hp) LOM M332AK engine. First flew 1995.^[2]

Operators

A Swiss Air Force Bü 131 B.

Jungmann G-RETA of the Shuttleworth Trust enters a loop

 Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovak Air Force operated this type post war.

 Independent State of Croatia

• Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske

 Finland

• Finnish Air Force

 Germany

• Luftwaffe

 Hungary

• Royal Hungarian Air Force

 Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Service operated this type as Kokusai Ki-86.
• Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service operated this type as Kyushu K9W1.

 Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Air Force

 Romania

• Royal Romanian Air Force

 South Africa

• South African Air Force

 Spain

• Spanish Air Force

 Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force operated this type from 1936 to 1971.

Specifications (Bü 131B)

a 1938 Bü 131

Bücker Bü 131B Jungmann
(Polish Aviation Museum)

Shuttleworth's Jungmann G-RETA at Old Warden

Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II^[3]

General characteristics

• Crew: Two (student and 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 inline engine, 70 kW (100 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 183 km/h (99 kn, 115 mph)
• Cruise speed: 170 km/h (92 kn, 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)

See also

Related development

• Bücker Bü 133
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Boeing-Stearman Kaydet
• de Havilland Tiger Moth
• Fisher Youngster
• Fleet Finch
• Stampe SV.4
• Polikarpov Po-2
• Leopoldoff L.55 Colibri
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany
  

References

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u} Ketle and Rolfe 1996, p. 12.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Jackson 2003, pp. 344–345.
3. ^ Bridgeman 1946, p. 158.

Bibliography

• Bridgeman, Leonard. “The Bücker Bü 131B “Jungmann”.” Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.
• Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.
• Ketley, Barry, and Mark Rolfe. Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935-1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft. Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996. ISBN 0-951-9899-2-8.
• König, Erwin. Bücker Bü 131 "Jungmann"(Flugzeug Profile 27) (in German). D-86669 Stengelheim, Germany: Unitec Medienvertrieb e.K.,
• König, Erwin. Die Bücker-Flugzeuge (The Bücker Aircraft) (bilingual German/English). Martinsried, Germany: Nara Verlag, 1987. ISBN 3-925671-00-5.
• König, Erwin. Die Bückers, Die Geschichte der ehemaligen Bücker-Flugzeugbau-GmbH und ihrer Flugzeuge (in German). (1979)
• Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press Ltd, 2006. ISBN 1-85152-966-7.
• Sarjeant, L.F. Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann (Aircraft in Profile 222). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1971.
• Smith, J. Richard and Antony L. Kay. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 3rd impression 1978, pp. 91–92. ISBN 0-370-00024-2.
• Wietstruk, Siegfried. Bücker-Flugzeugbau, Die Geschichte eines Flugzeugwerkes (in German). D-82041 Oberhaching, Germany: Aviatik Verlag, 1999. ISBN 3-925505-28-8.
• Wood, Tony and Bill Gunston. Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II. London: Salamander Books Ltd., 1977, p. 139. ISBN 0-86101-005-1.

External links