RON SMITH COLLECTION
No. 10710. Pützer Elster C (D-EDWU c/n 038)
Photographed at Dahlemer Binz, Germany, ca. 1971, by Ron Smith

Pützer Elster C

07/31/2011. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The Alfons Pützer K.G. of Bonn, Germany, started operations in 1953, building sailplanes - and in particular the side-by-side two-seat Doppelraab glider which had been designed by Fritz Raab. On May 8, 1955, following the ten-year limitation of the Treaty of Potsdam, powered flying was again permitted.

The following day, Pützer made the first flight of the prototype of their Motorraab (D-EBAC c/n V.1). This was little more than a Doppelraab with a fixed tricycle landing gear and a 32 hp Volkswagen engine fitted in the nose. Three further Motorraabs were constructed, the third machine (D-EHOG c/n 03) having a 52 hp Porsche 678/3 engine.

Using this power plant, Pützer proceeded to develop the Motorraab into the much-improved Elster A (Magpie), which first flew on January 10, 1959, registered as D-EJOB (c/n 001). It was an all-wood aircraft with a strut-braced high wing and a fuselage which was really a deepened version of the Doppelraab's. It was followed by a total of 45 production (c/n 002 to 046) Elster B and C models between 1957 and 1967.

Of the standard Elster B model, fitted with a 95 hp Continental C90-12F engine, 32 were built of which 21 were supplied to sporting aviation groups of the German AF, sporting military insignia and numbers. The Elster C model was developed specially as a high-performance glider tug fitted with an 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine, thirteen were produced.

The pictured aircraft was produced in May 1965, it was destroyed on July 19, 1988, although its registration was cancelled a number of years later, January 13, 1994."


Created July 31, 2011