Bücker Bü 181

Infobox Aircraft
name=Bü 181 Bestmann


caption=One of 125 Swedish-built Bücker Bü 181
type=Advanced trainer
manufacturer=Bücker
designer=
first flight=February 1939
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=Luftwaffe
more users=Czechoslovakia Egypt Sweden Switzerland
produced=
number built= 3,400
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=

The Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann ("Best Man") is a two seater, single engine trainer aircraft built by Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH in Johannisthal, Berlin and extensively used by the "Luftwaffe" in World War II.

Development

The prototype Bü 181 (D-ERBV) made its maiden flight in February 1939 with Chief Pilot Arthur Benitz at the controls. After thorough works and official flight testing by the "Reichsluftfahrtministerium" (RLM) the Bü 181 was nominated to be the standard primary trainer for the Luftwaffe. Series production of the Bü 181 commenced in 1940/41. The types were designated A to D with only slight variations between each and could be powered either by the Hirth 500A or 504 engine.

Production

The Bücker factory at Rangsdorf built most of the Bü 181's, but because of demand was forced to license the Fokker Company in the Netherlands, who subsequently built 373 of the type for the Luftwaffe all of which were delivered by the end of 1943.

Production of both the Bü 181A and the slightly modified Bü 181D was begun by Fokker in Amsterdam in 1942 and its total wartime production was 708 aircraft. Between 1943 and 1945, Hägglund & Söner AB in Sweden built 125 Bü 181's with the Hirth 500A engine with the Swedish military designation SK 25. Just prior to the German withdrawal from Czechoslovakia, production of the Bü 181D was initiated in the Zlin plant at Otrokovice, and production continued after the war, as the C.6 and C.106 for the Czechoslovak Air Force and as the Zlin Z.281 and Z.381 in various versions for civil use.

During the 1950s the Heliopolis Aircraft Works of Egypt acquired a Czechoslovak licence to produce the "Bestmann" in versions similar to the Zlin Z.381 with a 105 hp Walter-Minor engine. It was produced for the Egyptian Air Force as the Gomhouria ("Republic") and subsequent versions were supplied to other Arab air forces. At least 300 Gomhourias were built. Donald 1996, p.200.]

In all, 3,400 aircraft were built although only a handful survive today.

ervice

Although built as a primary trainer for the Luftwaffe, the type also performed other duties such as communication, glider towing, and even transporting Panzerfaust weapons (a rocket projectile with a hollow-charge warhead used as an infantry weapon against tanks.) Smith and Kay 1972, p.95.]

Description

The Bü 181 Bestmann is powered by a 105 hp four cylinder Hirth HM 504A piston engine.The Bü 181A aircraft is a single-engine low wing monoplane with fixed undercarriage, air-cooled 4-cylinder HM 500 A engine, split flap, twin controls and two adjustable seats arranged side-by-side. The cabin section of the fuselage is of a tubular steel frame construction whereas the rear of the fuselage has a wooden shell. The wing assembly and tail unit are also of wooden shell construction. All the rudders, elevators and ailerons have wooden ribs and are covered in fabric.

The aircraft is designed for training flights, pleasure trips and aerobatics. Its strength corresponds to Stress Group 5 with a limited load (single occupancy) and Stress Group 4 fully laden.

Variants

;Bu 181:Prototype.;Bu 181A :Two-seat primary trainer aircraft. ;Bu 181D:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft. Slightly modified version, with only minor improvements.;Zlin Z.181:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft. Czech production version of the Bu 181D, built by Zlin in Czechoslovakia after the war.;Zlin Z.281:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a Toma 4 piston engine. ;Zlin Z.381:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a 105-hp (78-kW) Walter Minor piston engine. Czech Air Force designation C-106.;Gomhouria Mk I:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a Walter Minor piston engine. Egyptian production version of the Zlin 381, built under licence in Egypt by the Heliopolis Aircraft Works.;Gomhouria Mk II:Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a 145-hp (108-kW) Continental C-145 piston engine.;SK 25:Swedish Air Force designation of the Bucker Bu 181.

Operators

* - Gomhouria
*CRO
**Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia
*
** Czechoslovak Air Force
*
** Egyptian Air Force - Gomhouria
*
** Luftwaffe
* - Postwar.
* - Postwar.
*
** Royal Swedish Air Force
*

pecifications

aircraft specifications
ref="The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II" Mondey 1996, p.30.]
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew= Two
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 7.85 m
length alt= 25.7 ft
span main= 10.6 m
span alt= 34.7.1ft
height main= 2.05 m
height alt= 6.7.ft
area main= 13.5 m²
area alt= 145.3 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 480 kg
empty weight alt= 1,058 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 750 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 1,653 lb
more general=

engine (prop)= Hirth HM 504A
type of prop= 4 cylinder air-cooled engine
number of props= 1
power main= 78 kW
power alt= 105 hp
power original=

max speed main= 116 knots
max speed alt= 134 mph, 215 km/h
max speed more=at sea level
cruise speed main= 105 knots
cruise speed alt= 121 mph, 195 km/h
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 800 km
range alt= 497 mi, 432 nm
ceiling main= 5,000 m
ceiling alt= 16,405 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

sequence=
He 178 -
Bü 180 -
Bü 181 -
Bü 182 -
Focke-Wulf Ta 183 -
Flettner Fl 184
related=

lists=
* List of military aircraft of Germany

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Donald, David and Lake, Jon. (editors). "Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft". London: Aerospace Publishing, Single volume edition, 1996. ISBN 1 874023 95 6.
* König, Erwin. "Bücker Bü 181 "Bestmann" (Flugzeug Profile 30)" (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 3-925-671-00-5.
* 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, 1996. ISBN 1-85152-966-7.
* Smith, J.Richard and Kay, Antony L. "German Aircraft of the Second World War". London: Putnam and Company Ltd., 3rd impression 1978, p. 94-96. 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 Gunston, Bill. "Hitler's Luftwaffe: A pictorial history and technical encyclopedia of Hitlers air power in World War II". London: Salamander Books Ltd., 1977, p. 140. ISBN 0-86101-005-1.

External links

* [http://www.aviationfans.com/?q=node/16 Aviation Fans]
* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ollieswebspace/bestmann%20walk%20around.htm Bucker Bestmann walk around]