Flight Test | Bcker Jungmeister
B
arrel-rolling a Bcker
Jungmeister through a
superb September sky with
the pulse of the engine
throbbing through the
throttle and the warm wind playfully
tugging at my silk scarf is just too much
fun. My one regret? I wish I didnt have
to give it back!
Its widely accepted amongst vintage
aircraft aficionados that Carl Bcker
produced two of the best-handling
biplanes ever madethe famous
Jungmann and the fabulous
Jungmeister. The prototype B 133 first
flew in 1935 and soon generated
considerable interest. Not only was it the
Pitts Special of its day, but it remained
competitive as an aerobatic mount until
the 1960s. Its an iconic machine. Most
recent addition to the Old Warden-based
stable of well-known vintage aircraft
collector and renowned Storch pilot
Peter Holloway, the Jungmeister comes
with an excellent reputation.
Having had a full briefing from
experienced warbird pilot Stu
Goldspink, and a further chat about the
type with the Shuttleworth Collections
Chief Pilot, Dodge Bailey, it was time to
examine the machine in detail. From
a distance this stubby little aircraft
has a pugnacious, almost wilful look
about itbut, as well see, looks can
be deceptive...
70 | Pilot January 2015
The heart of any powered aircraft is its
engineand the Jungmeister has a big
heart. Tightly encased beneath the big
bumped cowling is a Siemens-Bramo
SH14A-A4 seven-cylinder air-cooled
radial, which produces up to 160hp at
2,400rpm. It turns a laminated ash
Hoffmann two-blade, fixed pitch propeller
and is fed by a single 92 litre fuselage-
mounted tank, just aft of the firewall. The
fuel supply is actually a tank within a
tank, fuel being drawn via a flop tube
inside the smaller one. Quantity
remaining is shown by an indicator
needle attached to a float and viewed
through a Perspex pipe projecting
vertically up from the fuselage.
The cowling can be quickly removed
for easy access to the engine and
accessories, while to just check the oil
theres a small hatch on top of the
cowling. The original carburettors have
been replaced by Ellisons, as the stock
carbs tended to flood in sustained
knife-edge flight (aerobatic ace Manx
Kelly also noted a motor cough as she
switches to the inverted carb when
slow-rolling James Gilberts standard
Jungmeister for Pilots original 1972
flight test). Peters aircraft also has a
Christen inverted oil system.
The fuselage is constructed from
welded chrome-molybdenum steel-tube
and covered by a combination of
aluminium panels forward of the
cockpit and fabric aft, while the wings
are made almost entirely from wood and
fabric. There are ailerons on both
wings, which feature eleven degrees of
sweep-back. N-type interplane struts
support the centre-section, while the
outer wing panels are carried by
parallel struts braced with diagonal
streamlined wires. The ailerons and
elevator are actuated by pushrods with
cables for the rudder.
The main undercarriage consists
of spring-loaded Vees, with shock
absorption provided by a
combination of oil damping and
steel springs, and it is interesting
to note that the legs are
compressed considerably when on
the ground (in flight they extend by
about twenty centimetres). The brakes
are cable-actuated drums.
An unusual facet of the tail unit is that
the elevators use a fairly thick aerofoil
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 The old master-
Jungmeister A true thoroughbred, this 1930s aerobatic
biplane still has the power to amaze

Words Dave Unwin Photos Darren Harbar

while listening to the

metallic clack of the
impulse coupler, then
its time to saddle up,
sensibly attired in
small that the leather helmet, gloves and
bottom of the that silk scarf. (Hey, if youre going
rudder is very flying in an open cockpit, single seat
close to the biplane a silk scarf is practically
ground. mandatory!) For a biplane, access to the
There are cockpit is good. Sweeping back the
cable-actuated wings obviously helps by moving the
trim tabs in centre-section forward; the wingroot
both elevators walkways are sensibly sized, the small
section and their and a ground- doors swing down on either side, and
hinges are set back adjustable one in there are well-located grab handles
from the tailplanes the rudder. The immediately above the cockpit.
centreline. This baggage bay just aft of Strapping in is a bit of a faff, as you
creates a pronounced the cockpit is curiously need to fasten the seat-type parachute,
slot, which must capacious, bearing in mind this the four-point harness and a ratchet-type
increase pitch machine was specifically designed secondary lap strap. The seat adjusting
authority. The solid for aerobatics. mechanism is very neattheres a lever
tailwheel steers through Starting from cold, you must pull the on the starboard side and you just twist
the rudder pedals, and can be unlocked engine through at least eight blades to the top to unlock it and then raise or
from the cockpit for tight turns. It is so ensure that theres no hydraulic lock lower it to adjust the seat. This is a great

www.pilotweb.aero Pilot January 2015 | 71

Flight Test | Bcker Jungmeister

Above, from top: the name that for thirty years spelled
worlds best aerobatic biplane; superb detailing
includes these leather gaiters for strut and bracing-
wire fittings; offset hinges give the elevator an
effective aerodynamic slot; adjustable for reach the
rather wonderful stick grip; and those hyper-extending
oil-damped sprung undercarriage legs

Main image: bare essentials the lightweight and

beautifully triangulated fuselage frame is there to see

72 | Pilot January 2015 www.pilotweb.aero

feature as you can sit up high when taking
off and landing, and lower yourself in the
cockpit in the cruise, out of the wind; I
really like this. Another neat facet of the
cockpit is that the stick-top can be
adjusted, although the rudder pedals are
fixed. Ergonomically, the Jungmeister is
pretty sound as the elevator trimmer,
wobble pump, oil shut-off valve, tailwheel
lock and fuel selector are all on the port
side. The fuel selector has three
positionsOff, Normal and Aerobatic.
When set to Aerobatic it picks up fuel via
the flop tube, but Stu had emphasised that
all takeoffs and landings must be made
with the fuel selector set to Normal in case
the flop tube gets kinked. The instrument
panel is fairly minimalist. Id be minded to
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transpose the ASI and altimeter, and made
a note to ignore the original but U/S oil
pressure gauge.
Starting just about any aero-engine of
this vintage is something of a ritual, and
the big Bramo is no exception. With the
fuel valve set to Normal the wobble pump
is er wobbled to raise the fuel pressure,
then the throttle set to half open and a
vigorous squirt of primer applied as each
blade is pulled through. As the ignition is
retarded at low throttle settings, it is
important not to open the throttle too
much on start in order to avoid a backfire
and an engine running backwards. Set the
rotary mag switch to both, Peter gives the
prop a healthy flip and the motor coughs,
fires and lazily chuffs into life. Puffs of
white smoke, accompanied by pops and
bangs emanate from the exhaust until all
cylinders are drawing fuel (the primer
doesnt appear to charge each cylinder
evenly), but gently easing the throttle
forward makes the engine run smoothly
and the black blades dissolve into a
shimmering disc.
Check that the oil pressure is rising
nicely and then just sit back and listen
while the engine grumbles away to itself
with the wonderful, liquid rumble that
only a well-tuned radial can produce.
Once the oil is warmafter five minutes
or soI ensure that the tailwheel is locked
and set off towards the active runway with
the exhaust emitting a smooth growl.
There is only one way to taxi a machine
Pilot January 2015 | 73

Bckers have always had a reputation
for beautifully balanced controls
like thisand thats
very carefully. My
stately progress
towards the
runway is
in a series of
slow, sinusoidal S-turns, as otherwise it is
simply impossible to see whats directly in
front. With my feet in the rudder pedal
stirrups, I discover that while the toe-
operated, cable-actuated drum brakes are
adequate, the geometry of the rudder
pedals is such that you really have to point
your toes to make the brakes work. I dont
use them much.
The first item on the flying programme
was to shoot the air-to-airs, but as the
weather is NBG I elect simply to stay in
the circuit. With the uncomplicated
pre-takeoff checks complete (having
remembered that theres no carb heat and
the mixture control is automatic), I line up
on Runway 03 and ease open the throttle.
Acceleration is good, and theres no
difficulty in keeping straight. All the
controls come alive immediately and I
gently pick up the tail, significantly
improving the view forward. I anticipate a
slight swing as the tail comes up, then just
ease back on the stick at about fifty knots
and the Jungmeister leaps off the ground
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Flight Test | Bcker Jungmeister
in around 150 metres.
Roaring skyward at 70kt produces
a reasonable view forward and a fair
vertical velocity (there isnt a VSI, but it
seems to climb at around 1,000-1,200fpm)
but the aspect Im immediately aware of is
the controls.
Theres just so much authority in all
three axes, and within seconds I know Im
at the controls of a real thoroughbred.
Bckers have always had an enviable
reputation for beautifully balanced
controls, and the Jungmeister does not
disappoint. The four ailerons are light and
powerful and the elevator just about ideal
in weight, the pushrod actuation no doubt
playing its part in this. That said, harmony
of control isnt perfect: at first I thought
that the directional stability was somewhat
soft, but soon realised that I was simply
over-controlling. The rudder is both light
and powerful and as the Jungmeister is
quite short-coupled, heavy feet can get the
slip ball swinging. Apart from thisand I
soon get the hang of itits an incredibly
impressive machine. The cockpit is warm
and snug and (for a biplane) the field of
view pretty good. The trimmer is powerful
and precise.
I like to ascertain how an aircraft
handles on the slow end of the speed scale
before landing
it, so at a safe altitude (which
coincides with cloudbase) I
try a couple of stalls. These
are incredibly benign, as the
Jungmeister really doesnt want
to stop flying. If you insist, it reluctantly
drops its nose and a wing, but simply
release the back-pressure and it starts
flying again immediately.
Time to try a few circuits, and I can see
from the limp windsock that what wind
there is still favours R03. A bit more
headwind wouldve been nice as 03s
slight downslope will exacerbate any
tendency to float, but landings are very
straightforward; gently close the throttle
abeam the numbers and then simply fly a
classic curved approach. Sixty knots
around the corner tapering back to a last
look of 55 feels about right, but the
elevator seems to lose a little authority in
the flare, so on the next landing I try
keeping just a dribble of power and this
seems to help. After half-a-dozen touch-
and-goes the landings are getting quite
smooth, but nevertheless it really seems to
pitch, buck and rock n roll on the ground
run. When afterwards I ask Peter how the
landings looked, he replies fine and
explains that the springy, short-coupled
Pilot January 2015 | 75
The ailerons and
elevators are light,
smooth and very
powerful...

Main image: owned by Peter Holloway, our subject

aircraft wears the markings of the Spanish air force,
which operated Jungmeisters long after WWII

Left: a thorough check of the external control wires

and bracing is an essential part of the Jungmeister
and any other biplane preflight
 Flight Test | Bcker Jungmeister
undercarriage really exaggerates the
bumps in the runway. It feels much worse
than it looks.
A second bite
The following week Im in close formation
with Peters immaculate Miles Magister
flown by Bob Morcom and carrying
photographer Darren Harbar. The shoot
...while the goes well, and while the Magister heads
breakout forces back to Old Warden I find myself a quiet
piece of sky to try a few aerobatics. The
are almost spins, loops, rolls and flicks are as easy as
Id thought theyd be, and are followed by
non-existent a smooth landing and bouncy roll-out.
Driving away from Old Warden I cant
help but feel the Jungmeister and I have
unfinished business. Ive got more than
enough to write a pretty comprehensive
report, but really want to dig a little deeper
into the envelope andI cant deny
itthe Jungmeister has really put a hook
in me. It is undoubtedly one of the finest
handling aircraft Ive ever flown.
Diamond geezer Peter laughingly agrees
to my rather cheeky request for yet
another flight, and on a truly stunning
1 November I taxi eagerly out. Unlike my
two previous flights, theres a fresh
south-south westerly blowing right down
the runway, and the Jungmeister is
airborne almost before the throttle hits the
stop. Climbing up into a flawless sky with
the radial roaring out its wonderful song I
just cant believe my luck. Its a perfect
day for flying, and Im flying the perfect
machine.
Heading away to the east I briefly
re-examine the primary controls and
confirm my previous conclusions: for a
biplane designed in the mid-1930s the
handling is nothing short of amazing. The
ailerons and elevators are light, smooth
and very powerful, while the breakout
forces are almost non-existent. Even
harmony of control now seems ideal
(on the first two flights I wore boots,
but this time my lightweight trainers
give more finesse and I dont over-
control the rudder).
At a sensible altitude I run through
the Hasell checks, select Aerobatic
on the fuel valve, give the wobble pump a
quick wobble, and the harness an extra
tug, then start off with a couple of spins.
The Jungmeister spins delightfully,
although as Manx Kelly noted, in just two
or three turns the rate of rotation will build
up to the point you end up spinning like a
top at 300 per second. However, when
you apply opposite rudder and ease the
stick forward it recovers instantly. (In
Manxs day, flying an aeroplane that was
forty years younger, inverted spins were
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on the card, our aerobatics specialist
reporting that inverted spins in both
directions show the same characteristics
[of instantaneous recovery with a
tendency to overshoot ones line due to
the high rate of rotation], with a slight
flattening of the spin as she winds up.
Very exciting.Ed.)
Stall turns, chandelles, loops and rolls
are all a joyindeed as the sticks throw is
quite short and the control pressures so
light you almost need to just think about a
manoeuvre and it happens. Care does
have to be taken on both the up and down
lines, but for two very different reasons.
As the prop is fixed-pitch its quite easy to
over-speed the engine in a dive (the
factory red-line was 2,400rpm, but Peter
has built in a safety margin by red-lining
his at 2,200) while on the up-line it bleeds
energy very rapidly, although this is
clearly because its got more drag than a
Gay Pride parade! A great confidence
builder is that whatever you do, you never
get anywhere near the 182kt Vne.
Pulling up into a graceful chandelle and
watching the sunlight and shadows slide
swiftly across the taut fabric simply
confirms what Id known within seconds
of leaving the ground on my first flight in
it. This thing really is way too much fun,
and my grin feels wider than the six-metre
wingspan. Time now to explore the
Jungmeisters main claim to fame; the flick
roll. And here everything youve read is
trueshe breaks smartly as you snap the
stick back, and completes one revolution
in 1 to 2 seconds said Kelly: this thing
flicks like a demon, but as he observed
with just a bit of artistic licencethose
marvellous controls enable the flick to be
stopped in a microsecond. Add some
aileron at an appropriate moment and it
flicks even quicker. Manx didnt say it, but
the swept-back wings must contribute to
these characteristics.
A couple of stall turns followed by a
delightfully slooooow roll and a glance at
the fuel indicator suggests that its nearly
time to be heading home. Suddenly a
thought occurscould I put on a
respectable show in the Jungmeister? A
quick Hell check, choose a prominent
line feature for my notional crowd-line and
here we go! Enter centre stage with a
three-turn spin, recover parallel with the
virtual crowd line, gain some speed
(watch the rpm!) and straight up into a
loop, then a chandelle to the left and one
to the right, more speed and a barrel roll.
Start slowing down, check speed, height
and rpm, then flick, recover and ease the
nose down. More speed, up into a loop
with a roll off the top, another flick and
Pilot January 2015 | 77
Flight Test | Bcker Jungmeister

SPECIFICATION

BCKER BU 133C JUNGMEISTER

DIMENSIONS
Wingspan 6.60m
Length 5.90m any airshow punters would be demanding threshold with just a hint of power on I
Height 2.25m a refund! A further glance at the float begin easing the stick back. It all feels
Wing area 11.9sq m confirms that its definitely time to be just right and, you know, it very nearly
heading home, so its select Normal on the is. The bulbous nose slowly rears up,
WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS fuel valve, a quick wobble of the wobble completely obscuring the forward field of
Empty weight 420kg pump and start searching for Old Warden. view, but my confidence is up and my
Max takeoff weight 610kg On the way back power is briefly set to the peripheral vision firmly focused. With
Useful load 190kg max continuous barely a bump the
Fuel capacity 92 litres of 1,900rpm for a wheels kiss the
Load factor +4/-2g look at the cruise. The Jungmeisters grass, just past
This gives 90kt the numbers and
PERFORMANCE while burning low wing loading right on the
Vne 182kt about 36 litres per means that it doesnt centreline. But its
Cruise 100kt hour, for a range been six weeks
Stall clean 45kt of about 250nm. have any vices since my previous
Take off distance (over 50ft) 280m Cruising back flight, and Ive
Landing distance (over 50ft) 300m towards Old Warden with that lovely forgotten how much the oleos extend in
Climb 1,200fpm round motor rumbling away (its one of flight. Instead of a perfect three-pointer
Range 250nm the smoothest radials Ive ever flown the mains touch first and theres a slight
behind) and a waterfall of warm air skip before the Jungmeister settles gently
ENGINE AND PROPELLER flowing around the cockpit is just onto the groundbugger!
Siemens-Bramo Sh14A air-cooled wonderful. Back at the pumps I switch off the mags,
seven-cylinder radial, producing Back in the circuit, Im determined to the glorious rumble dies away and the
160hp (119kW) at 2,400rpm, and get it right for my last landing. Ignoring prop lazily huffs over the last couple of
driving a Hoffmann two-blade xed
the displaced threshold (which does compressions and stops. In case you
pitch propeller
produce a rather odd picture) I havent guessed by now, I really like the
MANUFACTURER concentrate on the numbers, and the Jungmeister: its a fascinating
Bcker Flugzeugbau & Dornier, second Im abeam them slowly close the contradiction of a flying machine, in that
Germany/CASA, Spain throttle, ease the elevator trim back and despite the (for its age) sparkling
immediately commence turning in, performance and crisp handling, the low
intending to go from the downwind leg wing loading means that it doesnt have
then exit stage left to tumultuous onto short final in one great sweeping any vices or vicious traits, and is actually
applause or not. You see, the snag is curve, the way aeroplanes like this should really quite easy to fly. Its fantastic in the
that the only things I do near the ground be flown. Due to the blustery wind I use air, while the steerable tailwheel, toe-
are take off and land. Consequently, 65/60kt, and with the wind sighing in the operated brakes, large rudder and four
although my little routine mightve been wires the Jungmeister comes rumbling ailerons make it pretty tractable on the
quite good (and it certainly felt pretty over the fence. All the speeds and angles ground too. It also just oozes charisma.
respectable) as I never went below 2,000ft are bang on, and as we cross the What a truly magnificent machine!

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