Junkers F 13
With its low single wing design and all metal construction, the F 13 introduces in 1919 the now classic silhouette of single-engine aircraft.
The prototype flies for the first time June 25, 1919, propelled by a 160 hp Mercedes D.IIIa. Amazingly, this plane will fly until the beginning of World War II. The first F 13a production planes will then receive the 185 hp six in line cylinders BMW IIIa.
As a consequence of the Versailles treaty, the plane could not be built in Germany until 1922. In 1923, Hugo Junkers signed a contract with the Soviet Government to produce the aircraft in a Soviet factory. From that time, Junkers received orders by several countries and a J.L.6 version was even assembled in New York by J. Larsen.
With 72 machines, the Deutsche Luft Hansa was the biggest F 13 operator. Before merging with Luft Hansa, Junkers Luftverkehr used about sixty and the Polish Aerolot 16. The F 13 was also used in the USSR, South America and the USA (by the U.S. Post Office). It is also in the USA that Stinson and Bertauds beat a world flight time record, in December 1921, flying for 26 hours and 19 minutes.
Production ended in 1932 with a total of 332 machines constructed. They were built in numerous versions: on skis, on floats and many different engines were used: Junkers L.2, Junkers L.5, BMW IIIa, in line six cylinders BMW IV and the V-12 BMW Va.
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