MONDAY MAIL RUN #5: Cleveland to Bryan

[Storm]

This week we'll be flying the Junkers F.13.
You can download it here: http://tinyurl.com/storm-junkers-f13

Week 5: Cleveland, OH to Bryan, OH via Port Clinton, OH. (Note the original flights did not stop at Port Clinton; that is just for our convenience.) Depart: KCLE (Cleveland-Hopkins International). Original airmail airport. Intermediate stop: KPCW (Keller - Port Clinton). Arrive: 0G6 (Williams Co - Bryan). Nearest airport to original Bryan destination. (Next week we'll start at nearby KDFI, which has more parking.) Aircraft: Junkers F.13 only. Aircraft details here. Flight plan and maps here.

[Storm]

More details on this week's airmail aircraft, the Junkers F.13

What's in this post:

• Download
• History of "der Blechesel" - the Tin Donkey
• Use in the United States
• Problems in the US
• Specifications for the Junkers F.13fe
• Notes for flying in FSX
• Original footage

Download

You can download it here: http://tinyurl.com/storm-junkers-f13

History of "der Blechesel" - the Tin Donkey

The Junkers F.13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, built in Germany at the end of World War I and first flying in 1919. It was an advanced wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passengers while the pilot and co-pilot sat in the open behind small windshields. Passenger accommodation could be quite luxurious...



There were several variants of the F.13, with wheels or floats. There were many different instrument panel arrangements. The prototype had a 170 hp engine and first flew on June 25, 1919. First production models had a greater wingspan and a 185 hp engine. Our FSX model is an F.13fe, 'f' for a longer fuselage and 'e' for the 310 hp Junkers L5 engine. The L5 engine began development in 1923 and was approved in 1925. The first flight of the F.13fe variant dates to between 1925 and 1928.

The later variant modeled here also has lights installed for night flying, together with a variometer (not available in 1919) and a Lorenz radio.

Of all F.13 variants, over 300 were sold. It was in production for 13 years and in commercial service for almost 20. Its uses included as a small airliner, mail plane, pest control duster, and air ambulance.

Use in the United States

John Larsen Aircraft in the USA purchased a production licence from Junkers. Kits of wheeled variants were purchased and shipped to the US and assembled by the Junkers-Larsen Aircraft Corporation as the JL-6 for use as mail planes.


John M. Larsen (center) with two pilots, in front of a Junkers F.13


First departure from New York. -------------------------------- First arrival in San Francisco.

Problems in the US

Unfortunately, the JL-6 also had a tendency to catch fire in mid-air and by early May 1920 the US Air Mail Service lost a crew due to an engine fire. The US Air Mail Service grounded all of its JL-6 aircraft until the cause of these fires could be discovered. It turned out that a leak in the fuel line was to blame, the result of a modification Larsen introduced when he brought the Junkers F.13 into the US market. Hugo Junkers also noted that the JL-6 used a blend of gasoline and benzol rather than straight benzol as fuel, which he proposed might have contributed to the accidents.

It is noteworthy that the Junkers F.13 performed satisfactorily in Europe. In fact, the F.13 dominated the market in Europe, and within five years of its release, the F.13 was being used on three-quarters of all air routes within Europe.

Not surprisingly, the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, in Washington, DC, generally dismisses the JL-6 as a tragic mistake. Some JL-6 aircraft were sold to Imperial Oil Company, of Canada, and a few were sold to various buyers. By 1922, Larsen was unable to sell any more of the Junkers aircraft, modified or not.

Because of all this, we will be flying the original, proven and reliable Junkers F.13, and not the dubious JL-6! (Wheeled variant only, not floats.)

Specifications for the Junkers F.13fe

Crew: 2
Pax: 4
Length: 34 ft 5.5 in
Wingspan: 58 ft 2.8 in
Height: 11 ft 10 in

Empty weight: 3,262 lb
Max takeoff weight: 5,111 lb

Powerplant: 1 × Junkers L5 6 cylinder straight engine 310 hp, 23 Liters = 1,400 cubic ins

Max speed: 194 km/h = 121 mph = 105 knots at sea-level
Cruise speed: 170 km/h = 106 mph = 92 knots
Service ceiling: 5,090 m (16,700 ft)*
Normal ceiling: 3,000m (pax comfort/oxygen).*
* Note, however, that an F.13 took 84 minutes to reach a record altitude record of 6,750m (22,140 ft) on Sept 13, 1919, with a production 185 hp engine, 8 people and no extra oxygen.

Notes for flying in FSX

READ THE FINE MANUAL!

Note especially:

• Shift+1 mini-panel is useful.
• The gauges are in metric units. There is a handy conversion popup on Shift+3.
• Taxi slowly. On the ground, only turn at very slow speed. Lufthansa employed wing-runners; you're not so lucky!
• Take-off: A little right rudder till tail lifts at 60 km/h. Ease back. Wheels off at 100 km/h.
• Landing: Vref 90 km/h (85-100 depending on load). Touchdown just over stall 70 km/h (67-80 depending on load).
  • With no crosswind: KEEP WINGS LEVEL. Wheelbase is narrow, gear stiff, wings are long and tips will ground.
  • With crosswind: Crabbing is OK only on long final. Always transition to wing-down/cross-control-slip by short final. Do NOT use crab-and-kick to land. (More details in manual.)
  • Three point landings are not essential. Flying-on is OK.
  • On roll out, apply brakes late and then only gently.

PRACTICE!

Original footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41jad7XH2Jg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2nZHmd7WFE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL4zz2WUxiw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1zm8QKbUp4

And the last and only engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ4eDhjF5sM

Flight plan to come...

[Storm]

VFR flight plan summary:

1. Head northwest to Lake Erie shore.
2. Follow shore westwards.
3. Follow estuary to Toledo.
4. Follow railroad west to Bryan.

As always, please touch on a picture for the original, often larger, downloadable image.

Our progress so far:


This week's flight plan:


Map of the first leg:


Map of the second leg:


Heritage marker posts at our destination:

[Storm]

New JL-6 US airmail livery available. Novawing has honored us with yet another Junkers F.13 livery, this time for the Junkers-Larsen JL-6 variant. Available from my Skydrive either as a patch or included in a new full install. (This is a livery only; there are no changes of flight characteristics. The real JL-6 probably had the original production engine rather than the higher powered L5 of the F.13fe.) However, you can fly any livery you want for tonight's flight - so long as it's a Junkers F.13!

[Storm]

Reminder: Join the line-up of Junkers F.13s, this evening at 9pm ET. JL-6s are also good!

[Derp4125]

Just a quick grab from the final airport.

[Coast]

When we left the Cleveland airport, it was snowing. The weather got better shortly after that.



-Coast

[Mulderpilot13]

Looks like it was a great flight! Ashamed I missed it.. Thanks for sharing the pictures guys!

[Coast]

Here are few more screen shots. Note in the first screen shot there is one aircraft without a label. That's me.

-Coast

[Storm]

Thank you Coast (and Derp). I especially like the first snowy one, Coast. Outstanding.

I was so busy with the flight, I only took one simple shot.
But here it is: 14 of us escaping from the radiation of Davis-Besse.
(Please click on the pic for a larger image.)

[Storm]

After the flight, a group of us decided to fly on westwards into the gloaming, on what turned out to be a test run for the first half of next week's Monday Mail Run #6, which will take us to Chicago.

Note: Monday Mail Run #6 (and #7) will be in Trimotors, either the Fokker F.VII or the Ford 4-AT. Both are in the Vintage Hangar of my Skydrive. It'll be your choice which to fly, but please download and install both so you can see them all.

Mike led the way in atrocious weather in the Junkers F.13, Iranian livery. I accompanied in the Cierva C.30 autogyro (which will be on my Skydrive for free download in due course when I've finished working on it). A group of helicopters followed us.