MBB Bo 209

Bo 209 Monsun
Role	Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Bölkow; later MBB
First flight	22 December 1967
Number built	102

The MBB Bo 209 Monsun (originally the MHK-101) is a two-seat light aircraft that was developed in Germany in the late 1960s.

Design and development

The design started as a redesign of the Bo 208 under Bölkow technical director Dr Hermann Mylius but resulted in a vastly different aircraft with little commonality of parts with its predecessor. The fuselage was now wider and incorporated a retractable nose wheel. The wings were redesigned and relocated to a low-wing configuration (the Bo 208 was a high-wing aircraft) and made foldable for towing and storage. The aircraft was marketed with a choice of the fixed or retractable nose wheel, either a 150-hp or 160-hp Lycoming engine, and an optional variable-pitch propeller. A trainer version with dual controls was also manufactured.

With this broad array of equipment options Bölkow displayed the aircraft at the Air Show in Hanover 1970: 57 orders of the new type were drawn in advance. A commercial success of the project seemed secured, but the fusion of the Bölkow GmbH into the MBB company 1968 led to the economic decision to stop building civil aircraft. Although there were 102 Monsun manufactured between 1969 and 1971, MBB decided in February 1972 to stop production despite there still being 275 orders outstanding.

Variants

• MHK-101 prototype
• Bo 209-150 - production version with Lycoming O-320-E1C engine
• Bo 209-160 - production version with Lycoming O-320-D1A engine
• Bo 209S - trainer version with dual controls, non-retracting nosewheel, and non-folding wings

Specifications (Bo 209-160)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Length: 6.60 m (21 ft 7¾ in)
• Wingspan: 8.40 m (27 ft 6¾ in)
• Height: 2.20 m (7 ft 2½ in)
• Wing area: 10.2 m² (110 ft²)
• Empty weight: 484 kg (1,067 lb)
• Gross weight: 820 kg (1,807 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-320-D1A, 119 kW (160 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 274 km/h (170 mph)
• Cruising speed: 243^[1] km/h ( mph)
• Range: 1,200 km (745 miles)
• Endurance: 5 hours  14 min
• Service ceiling: 5,520 m (18,100 ft)
• Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,180 ft/min)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Piper PA-38 Tomahawk
• Beechcraft 77 Skipper
  

Notes

1. ^ econ cruise - 60% power

References

• Taylor, John W.R. (ed.) (1971). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 354 00094 2. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 192. 
• Simpson, R. W. (1995). Airlife's General Aviation. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. pp. 85.