Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann
The Bu 181 Bestmann became the Luftwaffe's standard primary trainer after entering production in 1940, its side-by-side two-seat cabin allowing instructor and student to communicate more easily than the tandem cockpits common on other trainers. Construction mixed a steel-tube forward fuselage with a wooden monocoque rear and fabric-covered wooden wings, powered by a 105-hp Hirth engine. More than 4,000 were built in Germany, and postwar licensed production continued in Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Egypt, keeping the type flying long after 1945.
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Did you know?
The Bü 181 Bestmann was the Luftwaffe's standard primary trainer, distinguished by its side-by-side two-seat cabin allowing instructor and student to communicate easily.
Specifications
| Length | 7.9 m (26 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.6 m (35 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.8 t |
| Range | 550 NM (1,019 km) |
| Maximum speed | 115 kt (213 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Rate of climb | 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 120 l |
| Engines | 1x Walter Minor |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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