Brditschka/HB-Flugtechnik Designations

walter said:

Hi Apophenia
All the best wishes for the new year and hopefully you will continue your excellent work. I hope you wiil get a reply from Austria soon.
AFAIK the HB-22 designation may have applied to an aircraft (HB-22-2400) that was not flown, but used for structural tests and inn the development of the HB-23. I understand it was basically much a HB-21, but with side-by-side-seating and a more streamlined canopy.

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Apophenia said:

Brditschka, HB-Flugtechnik, and HB-Aircraft

The Brditschka corporate history is somewhat confused because of two separate lines of interest. Heinrich Wenzel Brditschka (born 1930) was interested in jewellery but was also an amateur aircraft builder. The first company was HW Brditschka OHG which covered both interests. He was later joined in the jewellery business by one son, Ralf Brditschka (born 1954), who became the chief designer and master goldsmith. The older son, Ing. Heino Brditschka (born 1950), formed the aircraft division.

Brditschka corporate evolution goes something like this:

HW Brditschka OHG (Offene Handelsgesellschaft/General Partnership)

HB-Flugtechnik GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung/Limited Liability Company) - sometimes given as Ges m.b.H)

HB-Aircraft AG (Aktiengesellschaft/Joint Stock Company)
- aka HB-Aircraft Industries Luftfahrtzeug AG

HB-Brditschka GmbH & Co KG (GmbH & Compagnie, Kommanditgesellschaft/Limited Liability Company & Limited Partnership)
- aka 'HB-Brditschka Lorena', focused on non-aviation activities

HW Brditschka OHG originally covered all corporate activities (inluding patent applications). HB-Flugtechnik GmbH was a dedicated aviation division formed by Heino Brditschka. HB-Aircraft AG was formed alongside HB-Flugtechnik to out-source aircraft production activities (but later closed).

Matters become more confused when officialdom lists HB-Flugtechnik GmbH as type certificate holder while giving HB Brditschka GmbH & Co KG (or even HW Brditschka OHG) as the manufacturer (as done by the European Aviation Safety Agency for the HB-21.

Brditschka Aircraft Designs

Between 1962 and 1967, Heinrich W Brditschka and two companions built a pair of Raab Krähe motorgliders. The Krähe was distinctive in having a pusher propeller mounted between its twin (upper and lower) rear fuselage booms. I have called these two home-builts 'Brditschka-Raab Krähe' but, AFAIK, these aircraft had no actual designation.

The first real production aircraft was the HB-3 designed jointly by HW Brditschka and Ing Heino Brditschka. The concept differed from the Krähe in having the upper fuselage longeron ('spar') pass through the propeller hub. This arrangement was patented by HW Brditschka OHG (as DE2650467 A1).

Brditschka/HB-Flugtechnik Aircraft Designations

Presumably, the HB-3 designation refers to the prototype as being HW Brditschka's third aircraft build. The next design was Heino Brditschka's HB-21 - the reason for this designation's numerical jump is anyone's guess. The HB-23 follows so one presumes that an unbuilt 'HB-22' was designed.

HB-Flugtechnik was the company responsible for these designs (but they are still referred to as Brditschkas). For some reason, the designation sequence then jumps to HB-202, thence up to HB-208. The HB-208 Amigo was actually a marketing designation and name for a Czech kitplane design - the Let-Mont sro Tulak.

That raises another designation puzzle. HB Flugtechnik's Classic-Line series included the Amigo, Dandy and Cubby. The latter two designs were also based on a Czech kitplane - in this case, the Let-Mont Piper UL (the Dandy being a side-by-side variant, the Cubby a tandem 2-seater). But, while HB-Flugtechnik designated the Amigo HB-208, oddly, no designations are published for either the Dandy or the Cubby.

The designations then jump to a 400 series. Three designs were said to be under development in 2002 but none are mentioned on the current HB website. There are few details but the HB-Flugtechnik HB-401 and HB-403 are both mentioned in Luftfahrzeugbau in Österreich: von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart; Enzyklopädie by Reinhard Keimel, Aviatic-Verlag, 2003 (ISBN: 978392550578).

As a final note on designations, ICAO's "Part 2 — Aircraft Type Designators (Decode)" shows the Fledger, Tornado, and Alfa as H202, H204, and H207, respectively. These are 'internal' ICAO designators, not HB-Flugtechnik designations.
http://cfapp.icao.int/Doc8643/reports/Part2-By Type Designator(Decode).pdf

I have emailled Heino Brditschka in hopes of uncovering some of the 'missing' HB-Flugtechnik aircraft designations. If I receive a reply, I will update this designation list.

__________________________________

Heinz W Brditschka

Brditschka-Raab Krähe - 1962-1967 amateur-built Raab Motorkrähe
-- Based on Krähe IV, 1 x 26 hp Hirth F10 HO4, span 12,00 m

HW Brditschka OHG, Haid, Austria

HB-3 -- 1968* single-seat Krähe-type motorglider, span 12.00 m
-- * Design start, 1st prototype HB-3 flew in June 1971
-- 8 x HB-3s built by Brditschka + MB-E1 conversion (below)
- HB-3 : 1970 prototype, 1 x 26 hp Hirth F10 HO4 engine
- HB-3 : 1 x 30 hp Puch 650 TR or 40 hp Rotax 642 HO2
- HB-3 BR: 1971, aka 'Austria Krähe'
-- Photo: http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1412613/
- HB-3 AR: 1975
- MB-E1: 1973 electric aircraft, 1 x 8-10 Bosch KM77 motor**
-- ** MB-E1 = Fred Militky/Heino Brditschka-Elektroflugzeug 1
-- https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1973/1973 - 2937.html

HB-Flugtechnik GmbH, Haid, Austria

HB-21 - 1974* 2-seat tandem Krähe-type motorglider, span 16.24 m
-- HB-21: Mixed const. (wooden wing, GRP-covered steel-tube fuselage)
-- * HB-21 devel. began in 1971, aka HB-21 Movit (in Hungary)
- HB-21 : 1974 Hobbyliner, 1 x VW-W-1600 G, Hoffman HO 14 propellor
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/5/6/1/2678165.jpg
- HB-21 : 1979 Hobbyliner, 1 x VW-W-1600 G/2, Hoffman HO 14 prop
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/5/5/1/2155155.jpg
- HB-21/2400 V1: 19??, 1 x VW-HB-2400 G, Hoffman HO 14 propeller
- HB-21/2400 V2: 19??, 1 x VW-HB-2400 G, Hoffman HO 14 propeller
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/4/0/4/1303404.jpg
- HB-21/2400 : 1983, 1 x VW-W-1600 G, Hoffman HO 14 propeller
-- Photo: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Brditschka-HB-21-2400-Hobbyliner/2678165/L/
- HB-21/2400 B: 1983, 1 x VW-HB-2400 G, Hoffman HO 14 propeller
-- Photo: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Brditschka-HB-21-2400B/0860113/L/
- HB-21L: 60 hp Sportavia-Limbach SL 1700 (VW conv.)
-- * Jane's lists as 65 hp VW-Westermayer 1600G HO4
- HB-21R: 41 hp Rotax 642 HO2, longer fwd fuse.* & wings**
-- * Side-hinged canopy; ** Fitted with drooped tips

HB-22 - 19?? structural test airframe for HB-23 devel.
- HB-22-2400: HB-21 derivative, not flown
-- Poss. side-by-side-seating, more streamlined canopy
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,26385.msg269446.html#msg269446
-- Poss. single-seat, T-tail, retr. u/c, 110 hp Renault
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,26385.msg269456.html#msg269456

HB-23 - 1982 2-seat side-by-side motorglider, span 16.40 m, x 52
- HB-23 : Vertical twin-boom (top boom passes through propellor hub)
- HB-23/2400 Hobbyliner: Standard version
- HB-21/2400 Hobbylifter: [??]
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/5/5/1/2155155.jpg
- HB-23/2400 Scanliner: Variant with fully-glazed fuselage nose
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/3/8/9/1322983.jpg
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/8/6/0/1572068.jpg

HB-201 - [??]

HB-202 - 1989 Fledger, HB-23 devel, triagular wingtip extensions
- HB-202 V1: OE-AHB, c/n 202001, devel. work began in 1986
-- http://www.planepictures.net/a/66/30/1187632507.jpg
-- http://www.airport-data.com/images/aircraft/small/000/702/702521.jpg

HB-203 - [??]

HB-204 - Tornado 2-seat tandem, mid-wing Krähe layout, span 7.7 m
-- http://www.pilotmix.com/hb-204-tornado
-- Photo : http://www.pilotmix.com/images/ac_images/H204.jpg
-- http://www.pilotmix.com/images/ac_images/385_4b9c94d947b6b7e3ffa24f8cd91a04ff.jpg
-- 3 view: http://www.pilotmix.com/images/ac_images/H204-2.jpg

HB-205 - [??]

HB-206 - [??]

HB-207 - 1995* Alfa, 2-seat low-wing single-engined light a/c kitplane
-- * HB-207 Alfa development first began in 1989
- HB-207 prototype: (OE-CHC c/n 207001) 1 x 110 hp VW-HB-2400 G/2
-- 1st flown with retractable u/c, later conv. to fixed tricycle u/c
- HB-207V : 'V' for VW-HB-2400 G (or G/2) engine, fixed tricycle u/c
- HB-207V RG: HB-207V variant equipped with fully retractable u/c
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/8/1/5/1304518.jpg
- HB-207R : 'R' for 100 hp Rotax R912, longer nose, fixed tricycle u/c
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/1/6/9/1148961.jpg
- HB-207R RG: HB-207R variant equipped with fully retractable u/c
-- http://www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/7/6/3/1888367.jpg

HB-208 - Amigo, 2-seat ultralight, 1 x 80 hp Rotax 912UL, span 9.0 m
- HB-208 Amigo: HB-Flugtechnik marketing name for Let-Mont sro Tulak
- HB-208 : Experimental WLA, span 8.0 m (Tulak span was 10.00 m)
- HB-208 : Ultraleichtflugzeug (ultralight), span 9.0 m
-- 3 view: http://www.hb-flugtechnik.at/images/phocagallery/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_j.jpg

HB-401 - [Project] 2002, tandem 2-seat high-wing sport kitplane
- HB-401: Pusher (presum. Krähe-type), 1 x 197 hp Porsche 911 engine

HB 402 - [Project] 2002, high-wing tractor design light a/c
- HB-402 - Said to resemble Cessna 172 (or Let-Mont Piper UL ??)

HB 403 - [Project] 2002, side-by-side 2-seat low-wing light a/c
- HB-403: HB-207 Alfa development
______________________

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m.roscetti said:

Can anyone give me information about the factory when it was still in Gablonz (Jablonec Nad Nisou)? In particular I would be interested in the war period and at the time when the factory produced for the German army thanks to the use of prisoners of war. Thank you

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