Junkers J.1
| Junkers J 1 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| The Junkers J.1 Blechesel, the world's first practical all-metal aircraft | |
| Role | experimental/Pioneer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Junkers & Co |
| First flight | 12 December 1915 |
| Retired | 1916 |
| Status | Retired |
| Produced | 1915 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Junkers J 1, nicknamed the Blechesel ("Tin Donkey" or "Sheet Metal Donkey"), was an experimental monoplane aircraft developed by Junkers & Co. It holds the distinction of being the world's first practical all-metal aircraft.
Manufactured early on in the First World War, an era in which aircraft designers were relied largely on fabric-covered wooden structures braced with struts and exposed rigging lines, the J 1 was a revolutionary development in aircraft design, making extensive use of metal throughout its structure and surface. It originated out of the work of pioneering aeronautical designer Hugo Junkers. The experimental aircraft never received an official "A" nor an "E-series" monoplane designation from IdFlieg and the then-designated Fliegertruppe, probably because it was primarily intended as a practical demonstration of Junkers' metal-based structural ideas, and was officially known only by its Junkers factory model number of J 1. It should not be confused with the later, armoured all-metal Junkers J 4 sesquiplane, accepted by the later Luftstreitkräfte as the Junkers J.I (using a Roman numeral).
The J 1 was constructed and flown only 12 years after the Wright Brothers had first flown the "Flyer I" biplane in December 1903. On 12 December 1915, the aircraft performed its brief maiden flight, flown by Leutnant Theodor Mallinckrodt of FEA 1, during which an altitude of almost 3 m (9.8 ft) was attained. Greater altitudes and performance was achieving during subsequent flights. By the end of January 1916, Junkers had been given a contract to further develop his all-metal concept, and the later Junkers J 2 single-seat fighter, which would never see frontline service, was the follow-on to the J 1. It is believed that the Junkers J 1 was not flown again after January 1916. In 1926, it was placed on static display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. During December 1944, the J 1 was destroyed during an Allied bombing raid on the city during the Second World War.
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