Klemm Kl 32

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Kl 32
Klemm32 Morzik-Poss Challenge32.jpg
General information
TypeCompetition touring aircraft
National originGermany
Manufacturer Klemm
Designer
History
First flight1932

The Klemm Kl 32 was a touring aircraft, developed in Germany in 1932, based on the Klemm Kl 31 as a competitor in the Challenge 1932 touring aircraft competition.

Contents

Design and development

Like its predecessor, the KI 32 was a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed, tailskid undercarriage. The Kl 32, however, had a smaller cabin (seating three), and a fuselage built from wood rather than metal.

Eight Kl 32s were entered in the competition, seven by German teams and one by a Swiss team. These were powered by a variety of engines, including the Bramo Sh 14, Argus As 8, de Havilland Gipsy, and Hirth HM 150. Notable German pilots included Robert Lusser (who designed the aircraft), Wolf Hirth, and Reinhold Poss.

Hirth won the short takeoff trial in his Kl 32, and Poss tied for second place in the overall competition with his. Five of the teams flying Kl 32s finished in the top ten in the "rally over Europe" part of the competition, and five of the top ten scores overall were achieved by teams flying Kl 32s.

A Klemm L32-V (VH-UVE, originally D-2299) was flown by Maude Bonney during her Brisbane to Cape Town flight in 1937, a distance of 29,088 km and the first flight from Australia to South Africa.

Specifications

Klemm Kl 32 3-view drawing from L'Aerophile Salon 1932 Klemm Kl 32 3-view L'Aerophile Salon 1932.jpg
Klemm Kl 32 3-view drawing from L'Aerophile Salon 1932

General characteristics

Performance

See also

References