AVIATION
|
You do not seem to have the Flash Player Installed. Bucker Bu 181
|
 |
The Bucker factory at Rangsdorf built most of the Bu181’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 Bu 181A and the slightly modified Bu 181D was begun by Fokker in Amsterdam in 1942 and its total wartime production was 708 aircraft. Between 1943 and 1945, AB Haeggland and Soner in Sweden built 125 Bu 181’s with the Hirth 500A engine the Swedish military designation being the SK 25. Just prior to the German withdrawal from Czechoslovakia, production of the Bu 181D was initiated in the Zlin plant at Otrokovice, and production continued after the war, when the type was designated C.6 and C.106 for the Czechoslovak Air Force and Zlin Z.281 and Z.381 in various versions for civil club use.
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. (The Panzerfaust was an infantry weapon which simply consisted of a light launching tube and a rocket projectile with a hollow-charge warhead. It effectively knocked out tanks.)
A final tribute to the soundness of Bucker design came during the 1950’s when the Egyptian Heliopolis Aircraft Works acquired a Czechoslovak licence to produce the Bestmann in versions similar to the Zlin Z.381 with 105 hp Walter-Minor engine. Produced for the Egyptian Air Force, the type name was Gomhouria (Republic) and subsequent versions were supplied to other Arab air forces.
All in all, 3,400 aircraft were built only a hand full survive today.
General Construction:
The Bü 181 B 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.
History of G-GLSU WkNr. 25071:
• Commissioned by the Luftwaffe in 1944 but because of the outcome of the war was delivered to Haeggland and Soner on the 11th August 1945, where it was finally commissioned and released to Swedish Air Force service on the 17th August 1945.
• The aircraft is WkNr.25071 the “25” representing the Swedish designation of SK25 and the 071 being the original manufacturing number.
• Bu 181 B-1 “25071” entered service with the Swedish air force at F5 Training School, Ljungbyhed in 1945 as a basic trainer and completed its service on the 21st October 1954. It subsequently went into storage.
• On the 10th May 1956 after the war time ban was lifted on Germany 25071 was purchased by the German Aero Club along with a number of other Swedish Air Force aircraft where it is to believed to have served for ten years.
• From 27th August 1966 to 4th May 1989 the aircraft was owned and operated by Herr Heckmann and registered as D-EDUB.
• From 4th May 1989 to 31st May 2003 the aircraft was owned and operated by Herr Reichart as D-EDUB.
• Glenn Lacey purchased and operated the aircraft in the UK from 31st May 2003 to 31st May 2004 under its German Registration D-EDUB. In June 2004 the German registration was cancelled and the aircraft re registered as G-GLSU.