Bücker Bü 180 Student

1^st Flight 1937

The Bücker Bü 180 Student, a German two-seat sport and training aircraft from the 1930s, featured a low-wing cantilever monoplane design.

It was later employed as a trainer and aptly named ‘Student.’

The aircraft’s wing was constructed from wood, utilising a combination of plywood and fabric for its covering.

Its fuselage comprised a steel tube frame at the front and a wooden monocoque structure at the rear, both covered with fabric.

The student was equipped with a fixed tailskid landing gear and operated by a Walter Mikron II inline engine.

The prototype took to the skies in 1937, and subsequently, a limited number were produced for civilian use.

Variants

Bü 180A

Production model equipped with a 37 kW (50 hp) Zündapp Z9-092 engine.

Bü 180B

Production model equipped with a 45 kW (60 hp) Walter Mikron II engine.

Bü 180C

Proposed variant equipped with a 60 kW (80 hp) Bücker Bü M700 engine.

Specifications

Crew

2

Length

7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)

Wingspan

11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)

Height

1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)

Wing area

15 m2 (160 sq ft)

Empty weight

295 kg (650 lb)

Gross weight

540 kg (1,190 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Walter Mikron II inverted 4-cyl

Air-cooled inline piston engine,

45 kW (60 hp)

Propellers

2-bladed fixed pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

175 km/h (109 mph, 94 kn) at sea level

Cruise speed

160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)

Range

650 km (400 mi, 350 nmi)

Service ceiling

4,500 m (14,800 ft)

Time to altitude

1,000 m (3,281 ft) in 8 minutes 54 seconds.

Sources

Profile Publications No. 222: Bucker Bu 131 Jungmann.

CASA 1.131 Jungmann / Bücker Bü 131 Aircraft Instruction Manual.

Flugzeug Profile 027-Bucker Bu-131.

Luftwaffe Fledglings, 1935-1945, Luftwaffe Training Units & Their Aircraft-Barry Ketley & Mark Rolfe.