Bücker Bü 181

Bü 181 Bestmann

D-EKYF, a Swedish-built Sk 25 (Bücker Bü 181 B-1)
Role	trainer
Manufacturer	Bücker
First flight	February 1939
Primary users	Luftwaffe Czechoslovakia Egypt Sweden Switzerland
Number built	3,400

The Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann was a two-seater, single-engine aerobatic monoplane aircraft built by Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH in Rangsdorf, near Berlin and extensively used by the Luftwaffe in World War II.

Development

The Bücker Bü 181 was named Bestmann after a German maritime term designating a member of the deck crew on coastal or fishing vessels. 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. The production types were designated B to C with only slight variations between each, and could be powered by the Hirth HM 500 A or B.^[1]

Description

Flight instruments of a Gomhouria 181 Mk6

The Bü 181 aircraft was a single-engine low-wing monoplane with fixed undercarriage, split flap, twin controls and two adjustable seats arranged side-by-side. The cabin section of the fuselage was of a tubular steel frame construction whereas the rear of the fuselage had a wooden shell. The wing assembly and tail unit were also of wooden shell construction. All the rudders, elevators and ailerons had wooden ribs and are covered in fabric. The flaps were metallic on the B types and wood on the C types. The Bü 181 Bestmann was powered by a 105 hp four-cylinder Hirth HM 500A or B piston engine. The aircraft was designed for training flights, pleasure trips and aerobatics. Its strength corresponded to Stress Group 5 with a limited load (single occupancy) and Stress Group 4 fully laden

Production

The Bücker factory at Rangsdorf built most of the Bü 181's, but because of demand was forced to license the design to 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 181B and the slightly modified Bü 181C was begun by Fokker in Amsterdam in 1942 and its total wartime production was 708 aircraft.

The Bü 181 was also built by Zliner Flugzeugwerke AG plant at Zlin, in the Bohemia & Moravia Protectorate and after the German withdrawal the production continued after the war in the same Zlin works, now denominated as the C.6 and C.106 for the Czechoslovak Air Force and as the Zlín Z.281 and Z.381 in various versions for civil use. 783 aircraft were built. Between 1943 and 1945, Hägglund & Söner AB in Sweden built 120 Bü 181's under license with the Swedish military designation Sk 25.

During the 1950s the Heliopolis Aircraft Works of Egypt acquired a Czechoslovakian licence to produce the Zlín Z-381 with a 105 hp Walter-Minor engine. It was produced for the Egyptian Air Force as the Heliopolis Gomhouria (meaning "Republic") and subsequent versions were supplied to other Arab air forces. At least 300 Gomhourias were built.[1] In all, 3,400 aircraft were built but only a handful survives today.

Service

Although built primarily as a trainer for the Luftwaffe, the type also performed other duties such as courier & liaison. From March 1945 an order was issued to concentrate all the available Bü 181s to be converted either to the "tank busting" role carrying four Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers from wing-mounted launchers (C-3 subtype) or to the night harassment role carrying three 50 kg bombs (B-3 subtype), most likely inspired by the Soviet female nocturnal Nochnye Vedmy units' campaigns from 1942 to V-E Day. These units saw very limited use in the final days of the war due to the war situation. However, some missions were carried out, achieving moderate success but at the price of severe losses.^[2] One restored Bestmann on the tank buster configuration is on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.

Test pilot, and sister-in-law of Claus von Stauffenberg, Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg^[3] was flying a Bücker Bü 181 when she was shot down and fatally wounded in 1945.^[4]

Variants^[5]

The Bü 181 evolved very little during the war, the differences between the B type and the C types were minimal, the most important being the increased autonomy of the C types. The main difference between the B-1 & C-1 and the B-2 and C-2 sub-types was the presence of pitot heating and position & cabin lights while the B-2 and C-2 types lacked any electrical system.

Bu 181V Prototype.

Bü 181 B-0 Pre-production series with Hirth HM 504 A-2 engine

Bü 181 B-1 With Hirth HM 500 A engine

Bü 181 B-2 As B-1 but no electrics

Bü 181 B-3 (Schlachtflugzeug): Night harassment version made from converted B-1s and C-1s carrying improved instrumentation, Revi gunsights and three ETC 50 bomb racks. Bomb loads; either three SC50 or three SD50 or three SD70 or three AB70 droppable clusters. Max. Bomb load 210 kg.

Bü 181 C-1 Increased range and Hirth HM 500B engine.

Bü 181 C-2 As C-1 but no electrics

Bü 181 C-3 (Panzerjäger): B-2 or C-2 subtypes modified for the antitank role carrying four wing mounted Panzerfaust 100 single-use antitank grenade launchers in pairs, two on each wing.

Post war license built & developments

Zlín Z.181: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft. Czech production version of the Bu 181, built by Zlín in Czechoslovakia after the war.

Zlín Z.281: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a Toma 4 piston engine.

Zlín 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 1: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a Walter Minor piston engine. Egyptian production version of the Zlín 381, built under licence in Egypt by the Heliopolis Aircraft Works.^[6]

Gomhouria Mk 2: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by a 145 hp (108 kW) Continental C-145 piston engine.^[6]
Gomhouria Mk 3: As Mk. 2, but with improved undercarriage.^[6]

Gomhouria Mk 4: Increased fuel capacity.^[6]

Gomhouria Mk 5: Similar to Mk 1, powered by Walter Minor, but with different engine mounting.^[6]

Gomhouria Mk 6: Continental O-300 engine.^[6]

Sk 25: Swedish Air Force designation of the license-built Bestmann.

Surviving aircraft

Of the over 4,000 Bü 181s originally built, only about 10 examples remain, none is in flying condition. However a good number of license-built Sk 25s fly still today, as well as some Zlin examples and an increasing number of Egyptian Gomhourias.

Cinema

A Bücker Bü 181 'Bestmann' was used in the movie The Great Escape. It was flown in the movie by James Garner with Donald Pleasence as his passenger.

Military operators

Algeria

Algerian Air Force – Gomhouria

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force

Croatia

Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovak Air Force – Post War
Czechoslovakian National Security Guard – Post War

Egypt

Egyptian Air Force – 150 Gomhouria^[7]

Germany

Luftwaffe

Hungary

Hungarian Air Force – Postwar.

Jordan

Royal Jordanian Air Force – Gomhouria

Libya

Libyan Air Force (1951-2011) – Gomhouia

Poland

– Postwar.

Slovakia

Slovak Air Force (1939–45)

Romania

Royal Romanian Air Force

Sudan

Sudanese Air Force – Gomhouia

Sweden

Swedish Air Force

Switzerland

Swiss Air Force – 1 + 6 Bü-181B-1 from German Luftwaffe landed and were interned in 1944.

Yugoslavia

SFR Yugoslav Air Force – Postwar

Specifications

Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II ^[8]

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 7.85 m (25.7 ft)
Wingspan: 10.6 m (34.71 ft)
Height: 2.05 m (6.7 ft)
Wing area: 13.5 m² (145.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 480 kg (1,058 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 750 kg (1,653 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hirth HM 500A or B 4-cyl. inverted air-cooled in-line piston engine, 78 kW (105 hp)

Performance

Never exceed speed: 440 km/h
Maximum speed: 116 knots (134 mph, 215 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 105 knots (121 mph, 195 km/h)
Range: 800 km (497 mi, 432 nm)
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,405 ft)

References

Notes

↑ The few B-0 pre-series subtypes built carried still the old Hirth HM 504 engine
↑ Christian Möller: Das letzte Aufgebot der deutschen Luftwaffe Helios Verlag 2010 ISBN 978-3-86933-030-3
↑ url=http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/schiller.html
↑ info taken from book by Gerhard Bracke, "Melitta Gräfin Stauffenberg, das Leben einer Fliegerin'
↑ Based on the Bü 181 B & C parts list of April 1944 and other primary sources
1 2 3 4 5 6 Taylor 1965, p.29.
↑ "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
↑ Mondey 1996, p.30.

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 3-925671-00-5.
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.
Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London: Samson Low, Marston, 1965.
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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bücker Bü 181.

Bücker Flugzeugbau aircraft
Aircraft by RLM designation:	Bü 131 Bü 133 Bü 134 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182
Aircraft by name:	Bestmann Jungmann Jungmeister Kornett Student

Aircraft and engines produced by the Egyptian General Aero Organisation
Fighter aircraft	HA-200 HA-300
Trainer aircraft	Bü 181
Engines	E-300

Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations
1 to 100	B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 Ju 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100
101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200
201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 (1943) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300
301-	Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E.340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E.555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635

Swedish Air Force military aircraft designations 1940–present
1-25	B/S/T/Tp 16 Sk 16 B/S 17 B/S/T 18 J 19 J 20 A/J 21 A/J 21R J/S 22 J 23 B/J 24 Tp 24 Sk 25
26-50	Sk 26 B/S 26 J/S 26 J 27 A/J/Sk 28 A/J/S 29 J 30 S 31 A/J/S 32 J 33 J 34 J/S/Sk 35 A 36 AJ/JA 37 A/Sk 38 JAS 39 Tp 45 Tp 46 Tp 47 Sk 50
51-100	Fpl 51 Tp 52 Tp 53 Fpl 54 Tp 54 Tp 55 Sk 60 Sk/Fpl 61 Tp 78 Tp 79 Tp 80 Tp 81 Tp 82 Tp 83 Tp 84 Tp 85 Tp 86 Tp 87 Tp 88 Tp 89 Tp 91
100-	Tp 100 Tp 101 Tp 102 Tp 103

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