While the number of original Junkers A50 Junior airplanes produced was in the dozens, it is likely that many more than that will be manufactured of the new variant paying tribute to the original metal light-sport aircraft. Under a partnership with Waco Aircraft, Junkers Aircraft Corporation has brought back the A50 Junior.
It keeps its classic look with a healthy dose of modern flair. A pair of the planes are on display this week after being unveiled at the Sun ‘N Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
The Junkers A50 Junior was recently FAA S-LSA accepted and borrows plenty of inspiration from the pioneering classic, first flown in 1929 in Germany.
With a wingspan of 32’4”, standing 24”4’ long and 9’6” high, it is one foot longer than the original. The tandem two-seater, low-wing aircraft is wrapped in corrugated aluminum like its inspiration and comes packed with modern bells and whistles, including glass navigation and a parachute.
“As you can tell, the design of the A50 is absolutely stunning,” said Alex Skiba, Junkers Aircraft Corporation sales and marketing manager. “There is nothing else like it on the market.”
Photo courtesy of ShareAlike 3.0 Germany (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE) / Creative Commons
While the original model sported an 80-horsepower, 5-cylinder radial engine, the new A50 Junior is powered by a fuel-injected Rotax 912 IS2 with 100 horsepower and driven by a ground-adjustable 2-blade MT propeller.
If something was to go wrong in flight, there is a Galaxy GRS 600 parachute to glide you back to Earth.
The cruise speed is 75 knots with a stall speed of 46 knots. It tops out at a recommended max speed of 112 knots and has demonstrated handling a max crosswind of 15 knots.
It can take off with a 50-foot clearance at 984 feet and land with a 50-foot clearance at 1,355 feet, according to Junkers. Empty, the A50 Junior weighs 840 pounds with a max takeoff weight of 1320.
With a full tank of 27 gallons of fuel, that leaves a useful load of 310 pounds, able to cover a maximum range of 680 miles, burning 4 gallons per hour.
The Junkers A50 Junior is being assembled in Battle Creek, Michigan alongside the Waco YMF5 and Great Lakes Biplane aircraft. Check it out this week at Sun ‘N Fun in Paradise City, where it is flying off the grass strip daily.
GlobalAir.com complete coverage of Sun ‘N Fun:
F-35 wows crowds on opening day, Sun ‘N Fun TV interviews Demo Team commander
Kodiak 100 new prop and updates, Kodiak 900 makes debut at Sun ‘N Fun
CubCrafters unveils Carbon Cub UL at Sun ‘N Fun
Bose A30 headset for aviation unveiled at Sun ‘N Fun
Piper announces tech upgrades for M600 SLS, including automatic logging of flight data
Blue Line Aviation expands to Florida, inks deal with Piper to replace entire fleet
Sun ‘N Fun and JSfirm.com host 10th annual career fair
Sun ‘N Fun hosting fly-out to Bahamas after the show ends
Must-see attractions at Sun ‘n Fun 2023
Recent Comments