Putzer Elster
The Pützer Elster ("Magpie") was a side-by-side two-seat sport aircraft built by Alfons Pützer KG in Bonn, first flown on 10 January 1959 as one of West Germany's first significant post-war aircraft designs. It grew out of the Motorraab motor glider, keeping that design's strut-braced wing but adding a new plywood monocoque fuselage. Only 45 were built before production ended in 1967, yet 25 went to Luftwaffe and Marineflieger sport-flying clubs, initially on civil registrations before receiving military serials in 1971. The Elster remained in service with these clubs until its 1978 maintenance contract lapsed, after which surviving aircraft returned to the civil market.
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Did you know?
Its strut-braced wing was borrowed from a motor glider, marking the Elster among West Germany's first significant post-war designs.
Specifications
| Length | 7.1 m (23 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 13.2 m (43 ft) |
| Height | 2.5 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.7 t |
| Range | 240 NM (444 km) |
| Service ceiling | 16,000 ft (4,877 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 600 ft/min (3 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 240 m (787 ft) |
| Landing distance | 190 m (623 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 64 l |
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
In CatchFlights the Putzer Elster starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Putzer, the Elster family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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