Junkers F13 replika repülése
RIMOWA cég által épített Junkers F13 replika, amely minden repülőgép „anyjaként” a világ első teljesen fémépítésű utasszállító repülőgépe volt, tegnap egy 93 éves utast szállított. Úszótalppal az eredetije pedig egykor repült a Balatonon és a Dunán.
Fotók: RIMOWA Facebook
A díszvendég Hans-Walter Benner 6 éves korában repült előszőr a Junkers-szel, szivesen emlékezett rá az ünnepségen is.
A Junkers F13 hidroplán változata repült egykor a Dunán és a Balatonon is. Reméljük, a RIMOWA erre a változatra is tesz majd egyszer úszótalpat és megrepülteti azt a Balatonon is.
There are also at least two legend pilots who are not only still living witnesses of two Junkers F13 which flew in Brazil in the 1930s and 1940s, but they were also pilots in command of these two F13 and other legend aircraft of that time and later. We think they are the only ones still alive in the world who have not only seen but also flown the Junkers F13 at that time!
These two pilots are now well in their young 90s, and a long time retired, of course. But they still are in excellent mental shape, although with some physical difficulty: one unable to stand still (using a wheelchair), who dedicated his time mainly in the Pilot Education and Training Department and other administrative roles from the 1950s on. And the other with some hearing loss, he’s now a retired B747 Captain.
They, along with other pilots, including Harald Stunde, Franz Xavier Greiss and Karl Ruhl, made their invaluable contribution to build up Varig, a Brazilian airliner founded in 1927 by the German Otto Ernst Meyer Labastille. He was born in Neider-Marschhacht (Hanover province) in 1897, and was an aviator from Royal Prussian Aviation. Varig first aircraft was a German seaplane Dornier Wal (tail number D1012, transferred from Condor Syndikat – Lufthansa later on). Later, Varig added the following to its fleet: 1 Dornier Merkur, 2 Klemm L-25, 2 Junkers F13, 2 Junkers A50, 1 Junkers JU52/3, 1 Messerschmitt BF108, 1 Messerschmitt M20 and so on… This was all prior to WW II. Unfortunately all these German aircraft were scrapped after WW II and, as a curiosity, converted into frying pans (Aluminum), no left overs…
You can read and see much more detail about Varig history and legendary pictures of these planes in this link: http://www.varig-airlines.com/….
The testimonials of these two pilots who flew the original Junkers F13 in the 1940s could really add and contribute to the history and revival of this Junkers F13 project. It will for sure be something for the records of the history of aviation and Junkers F13 in the world, especially for Germany and Brazil!