BUCKER BU 181 "BESTMANN"

The Bucker Bu 181 Bestmann was a German low-wing sports, liaison and training-training aircraft, with a mixed design from the Second World War and the post-war period. The drive was provided by a single engine Hirth HM 504 with 100 hp. The flight of the prototype took place in 1939, and in the years 1942-1945 mass production was carried out in Germany. In the period 1945-1954 it was continued in Czechoslovakia and Egypt. In total, it led to the creation of about 3,400 copies of this aircraft. The plane did not have on-board weapons. The Bu 181 Bestmann was built in the Bucker Flugzeugbau plant, as the successor to the very successful Bu 131 and Bu 133 aircraft of this company. However, it differed from its predecessors in many elements: first of all, the biplane system was abandoned in favor of a monoplane structure. The cabin was locked and the instructor and student or passenger were now seated side by side. The aerodynamics were also significantly improved and a new power unit was used. Ultimately, the Bu 181 Bestmann plane turned out to be very successful. During World War II, it was used by the Luftwaffe as a training and liaison machine. Traces of Bu 181 were armed with Pancerfaust armor in 1945 and it was planned to use them in combat. The machine was used by many foreign operators, including Algeria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Egypt and Hungary.