5 minute read
Bücker Jungmann
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Classic German Biplane Design Builds Memories
BY FREDERICK A. JOHNSEN
AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF
It’s a pugnacious little biplane, resplendent in World War II German colors. It’s a 1954 Spanish-built clone of the 1930s German Bücker Jungmann trainer. Current owner Ed Campbell, EAA 282266, and his son spent seven-and-a-half years rebuilding it from a complete, if tattered, airframe. The Bücker draws a crowd in the Warbirds parking area at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021. Its home field is at Beaver County Airport in Pennsylvania.
Ed is an affable flyer who gladly answered questions about his colorful biplane. A former air show pilot who flew an Su-29 and Extra 300 with the Firebirds team from 2000 to 2008, he gave up the vagabond show circuit to spend more time with his family. The Bücker project proved to be a special bridge between Ed and his son, Kyle, who was 9 years old when they began the rebuild. By the time he was 15, Kyle was applying the finishing paint touches to the recovered biplane. He subsequently learned to fly in this time-tested trainer, with Ed showing him the way.
This Bücker had previous civilian owners after leaving Spanish military service, where it was known as a CASA 1.131. Ed did what many civilian owners have done and mounted a Lycoming O-360 engine under a custom-fitted cowling. After bringing his engine and engine mount together, Ed said he realized not all O-360s mount the same. Some special work was required to make the mount and the engine meet properly on this experimental category aircraft. A nod to the vintage of this design is the laminated wooden Sensenich propeller that can give a climb rate of 1,000 feet per minute.
And how does Ed like the finished product?
“In flight, it’s one of the finest handling light airplanes ever,” he said. But on the ground, “it’s a little bit
PHOTOS BY FREDERICK A. JOHNSEN
dicey,” he added. Those light controls that are a joy in flight can make it a handful on the ground, especially in a crosswind, he explained.
And he has noticed that the very light control forces make it almost impossible for newbies to make ballcentered coordinated turns at first.
The only other modern concessions are hydraulic brakes, cleverly hidden in the landing gear fairings, and modern instruments. During restoration, the wooden wings, probably of Spanish origin, were repaired as needed. Oh, and, yes, air show pilot Ed couldn’t resist putting a smoke system in the fuselage, cuz you never know …
Large pilots or passengers may find the Bücker Jungmann too confining. “It’s made for a 140-pound German youth,” Ed explained. The German markings on this biplane represent a Bücker Jungmann operated by World War II Luftwaffe fighter squadron JG 54 for miscellaneous duties.
Ed said, “The best part of this story is the seven-anda-half years I spent with my son restoring it.”
The design is a Bücker Jungmann German biplane trainer of the 1930s; this example is a postwar Spanish-built variant, with some civilian American upgrades.
Ed Campbell brought his Spanish-built Bücker Jungmann trainer to AirVenture 2021. It is one of the treasures parked in the Warbirds area.
— Dr. Debbie Mielewski
Women Making an Impact
Dr. Debbie Mielewski has an incredible enthusiasm for science, breaking down barriers and leading sustainability e orts for Ford. She has spent the past 20 years focused on researching sustainable materials and incorporating them into Ford vehicles, and her team has been successful with more than a dozen industry-firsts, including the development of parts made with soy, wheat straw, tree cellulose, rice hulls and most recently, co ee cha . She has also spearheaded initiatives to hire more women into the lab at Ford. In December, Dr. Mielewski became the first woman appointed to the prestigious Ford technical fellow role, making her one of only 16 in history. As technical fellow of sustainability, her scope will broaden, encompassing sustainability e orts across the company, including manufacturing, recycling, materials and even vehicle end-of-life. Dr. Mielewski intends to continue driving Ford to lead the industry in becoming a more sustainable, environmentally friendly company.
Ford proudly supports not just Dr. Mielewski, but all women in sciences, engineering and technology.
NEWS & INFO
Task-Based Phase I to Revolutionize Flight Testing
AFTER YEARS OF hard work and advocacy by EAA, the FAA has published draft guidance to implement an optional taskbased Phase I program for experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft. Under the program, once an aircraft completes a flight test plan that meets FAA standards, Phase I is complete. The standard 25- or 40-hour flight test period for Phase I will remain an option for all E-AB, and experimental light-sport (E-LSA) continues to carry a five-hour test period.
The program is part of an upcoming update to Advisory Circular (AC) 90-89B. Flight test programs do not need specific approval by the FAA, but the AC lays out certain required flight test points and requires the use of test cards for data collection in flight. Users of the EAA Flight Test Manual should find it a straightforward way to complete the requirements of the task-based Phase I program, but anyone may draft a flight test plan that meets the FAA’s outline, including kit manufacturers and other experts.
Task-based Phase I ensures that every hour spent in flight testing is meaningful and is contributing to both validating the airworthiness of the aircraft and gathering the data necessary to build a detailed operating manual. This will benefit the builder in ensuring full exploration of the aircraft’s operating envelope, and it will benefit subsequent owners in having access to quality data on the aircraft. In exchange for this work, the aircraft will be released from Phase I when it is ready, not based on an arbitrary time requirement.
“This is the result of more than eight years of work by EAA and the FAA, and we couldn’t be happier that it is now nearing completion,” said Tom Charpentier, EAA government relations director. “This will be a true paradigm shift in E-AB flight testing.”
This program comes on the heels of EAA’s publication of its Flight Test Manual in 2018, which has sold thousands of copies to date. EAA is continuously working to improve it and create new materials and programming based upon the manual.
Task-based Phase I is yet another example of the EAA working collaboratively with the FAA to achieve a win-win solution that benefits the community and enhances safety. The groundwork for this change was laid by the EAA/FAA working group that created the Additional Pilot Program (AC 90-116), which allows another pilot into the cockpit to enhance safety during flight testing.
