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Bucker Bu 133 (Jungmeister)

History

To build the German war machine of World War II (1939-1945), the Nazi regime needed various forms of instructors and training equipment to bring their troops to an impressive fighting standard. A contribution to the rapidly growing Luftwaffe was the Bucker Bu 131 "Jungmann" ("Young Man"), a single-engine, two-seat basic trainer in biplane form.

This aircraft appeared in 1935 on the eve of World War II, and after 1936 a more advanced version of this aircraft appeared, the Bucker Bu 133 "Jungmeister" ("The Young Master").

The Bu 133 is definitely influenced by the previous Bu 131 in form and function, and builds on the established, proven Jungmann framework. The wing layout and single-engine setup of the biplane was retained, but the crew seat was reduced to one pilot/student (in a reclined open-air cockpit).

The fuselage looked rounder and lower than the Bu 131, while the rear unit was very traditional for its time. The two-wheeled, two-legged landing gear found beneath the aircraft remained fixed in flight and used for ground operations.

Tubular steel and wood make up the interior of the aircraft, while wood, sheet metal and fabric are used for the outer shell.

The first flight of the

Bu 133 prototype was recorded in 1935, powered by an air-cooled Hirth HM506 inline piston engine producing 140 hp and driving a two-bladed propeller in the nose. The aircraft performed well in testing, formal evaluation and stunt demonstrations, but global customers were slow to appreciate this market-oriented advanced stunt trainer, which was mainly passed on to the Bu 133A model, and only completed a pair of Bu 133A models. 133B aircraft.

The Bu 133C was equipped with an air-cooled Siemens-Bramo Sh14A radial piston engine under a more elegant fairing, and this variant made a big splash on the world stage: 52 prototypes from Dornier to Swiss Air Force Markenlabel (licensed production) and another About 50 were supplied by CASA to the Spanish Air Force (these were CASA "1-133").

By the late 1930s, the Bu 133 was identified as the Luftwaffe's primary advanced aircraft trainer - a key stepping stone for aspiring pilots who would soon serve the Luftwaffe in sustained air combat around the world. The aircraft remained in this role until the end of the war in 1945. In addition to the mentioned users in Germany, Switzerland and Spain, there are also global operators in Hungary in the Axis alliance, independent Croatia, Romania in the Axis alliance, Slovakia, southern Africa and Yugoslavia.

The series was active until the 1960s, and that's how it was designed, while some were regularly broadcast on civilian racing/acrobatic circuits.