Blume-Hentzen Modell E V

Rare photo of the only Blume-Hentzen Modell E V Habicht [goshhawk] ever completed, at Berlin-Adlershof in 1924. The E V was a single-seat, parasol-wing light plane with fixed landing gear, powered by a Siemes & Halske Superior engine. The aircraft's span measured 12 m, its length amounted to 5.19 m, it's empty weight was 227 kg, and its top speed reached 105 km/h. The E V was built using a number of salvageable components (such as engine and wing) of its vaguely similar predecessor, Modell E II, the sole example of which had crashed during a test flight in 1923. The Modell E V first flew on 6 May 1924.

Blume-Hentzen consisted of Fritz Heinrich Hentzen (1897-1978), a well-known, pioneering glider pilot, and Walter Blume (1896-1964), a former fighter pilot who had been awarded the Pour le Mérite during the First World War. Blume and Hentzen established themselves at Berlin-Adlershof in 1923/24, with the intention to construct light aircraft.

Prominently displaying the entry number "55", the Habicht was flown by Blume during the 1924 light plane competition in the Rhön mountains in Germany. After successfully completing the contest flight to Kissingen, however, Blume had to execute an emergency landing due to engine failure during his return flight. This mishap also was to signify the end of the Blume-Hentzen aircraft construction collaboration. Hentzen would subsequently work for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) and later became a Betriebsdirektor [manager] at Messerschmitt, while Blume pursued aircraft design at Albatros and later at Arado.

The Habicht eventually was integrated into the inventory of the Deutsche Luftfahrt Sammlung [German Aviation Collection] in Berlin. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)