Messerschmitt M 17

M 17
Messerschmitt M17 in Deutsches Museum
Role Sports plane
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Flugzeugbau Messerschmitt Bamberg
Designer Willy Messerschmitt
First flight January 1925
Introduction 1925
Primary user Germany
Number built 8


The M 17 was a German sports plane, a single-engine high-wing monoplane. It was designed by Willy Messerschmitt in 1925 in Bamberg. This aircraft won many competitions and allowed Willy Messerschmitt to build its first factory.

Development

The design of the M 17 could be traced back via the powered S 16 and S 15 aircraft to the Messerschmitt-Hirth S 14 glider.[1] The aircraft was a two-seater almost completely made of wood and weighed only 198 kg (437 lb). The engine was a 22 kW (29 hp) Bristol Cherub II. The pilot had no forward visibility.

In September 1926, pilot Eberhard von Conta, and the writer Werner von Langsdorff flew in an M 17 from Bamberg to Rome. This marked the first time the central Alps were crossed with a light aircraft. The flight lasted more than 14 hours and they had to refuel every three hours, since the tank could only hold 28 L (7 US gal). They reached an altitude of 4,500 m (14,760 ft).

Survivors/Replicas

Only one of the six to eight machines built survived and is today in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.[2]

A replica was built by Messerschmitt Foundation (first flight April 14, 2004) and makes regular appearances at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin. It weighs 40 kg (90 lb) more than the original due to additional equipment (radio and rescue system) and is now at the Manching Aviation Museum in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.

Messerschmitt M 17 Messerschmitt Foundation replica
Messerschmitt M 17 replica in flight

Specifications

Data from [1],[3]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Smith, J. Richard, Messerschmitt: an aircraft album. (1971). Shepperton: Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-0224-X
  2. ↑ Deutsches Museum
  3. ↑ Ugolok Neba

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Messerschmitt M17.