| 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.
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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.
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72
General characteristics
Performance
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