Homebuilt East Germany escape aircraft - photo

[Jon]

Homebuilt East Germany escape aircraft. Never flown; the family planning their escape was arrested and imprisoned before being eventually deported to West Germany.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...e_fullsize.jpg




More: https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/f...rafts/dowa-81/

[Frank S]

In a way the plane was useful in accomplishing their mission. it was built for the purpose of getting the family to West Germany they were arrested because of it then deported to West which is where they wanted to go anyway.

[KustomsbyKent]

Pretty interesting design and execution. I see the guy who built it was a Dr of something....seems like he had more knowledge than the average guy for building an airplane. I wonder if would actually fly?

[Frank S]

Pretty interesting design and execution. I see the guy who built it was a Dr of something....seems like he had more knowledge than the average guy for building an airplane. I wonder if would actually fly?

Looking at it, it appears to have an engine mounted on either side of the wing seeing the propeller facing to the rear.
I bet it could have flown or at least made a short hop high enough and long enough to clear the border, but they would have probably been shot down or killed before taking off.
Edit;After reading the article I think it would have been greatly under powered with the 2 motorcycle engines if that was 28KW total It may have managed to become airborne but I imagine it would have required a long runway.

[DIYSwede]

The guy was in fact an aircraft engineer from Dresden, who should use an abandoned brown coal stripmine for a 550m (600 yards) runway to get him and his family from Sachsen into Bavaria, close to Hof. Took him two years of building in their 7,5 sq m (80 sq ft) living room, using aluminium, plywood and (western) materials. No part could be longer than 4 m. 9 m (30 ft) wing span.

Everything stuffed in a DIY converted "Klappfix" (see pic): a folding tent camping trailer.
The family was arrested 2 days before the planned takeoff at 22 of July 1981.
The state prosecutor claimed that they intended to cruise 50-80 m below radar coverage,
and that the GDRs aviation administration deemed the ultralight "flightworthy".



Aside from this story, there's a few other in this article (german only PDF):
https://magazin.spiegel.de/EpubDeliv...l/pdf/13501985

The former GDR refugees can today, after the "Rehabilitation Laws" (where fleeing GDR was an act of crime against the state),
reclaim all propertiy confiscated by the East German regime, including the aircraft above.