Acro Chimp's Got a New Project!

[LeadingEdge]

Article written by: Matt "Acro Chimp" Chapman



Attached are a few pix of my Bucker Jungmann project.

A bit of background here for you if you like. (Here it is even if you don’t)

My first aerobatic ride was in 1976 with the British Aerobatic Champion, Neil Williams. It was done in his recently acquired Jungmann. Neil was my air show hero growing up. I would follow him around the air show circuit in the U.K. for years. (I grew up in London, England, 71-79) Well from the moment we left the ground the Jungmann was a favorite of mine. Truly a wonderful airplane. Not a lot of people know this, but Curtis Pitts used the Jungmann and Jungmeister as his design model for he original Pitts S1. The S1 has a lot of the same control qualities as the Jungmann. The Jungmann and Jungmeister have a reputation for having the absolute best control harmony of any aircraft ever flown. I have to agree with that statement, they are a true joy to fly.


At my first aerobatic contest in 1984 I was sitting in a hanger and saw a crate sitting in the corner. I had a closer look and noticed it was an old original Spanish Jungmann. It was one of about 65 imported to the U.S. by a fellow who bough them directly from the Spanish Air Force in 1972/74 timeframe. The owner, Fred and Liza Weaver were also the contest directors. Being a 24 year old broke charter pilot at the time I didn’t; have two nickels to rub together, but I told the Fred if he ever wanted to sell it that I wanted it! Over the following years Fred and I became friends and stayed in touch through the IAC and my contest flying. Every time I saw him I would ask about the progress on his Bucker. The answer was always the same, “no time, haven’t done a damn thing to it. Maybe one day” Well in 1997 at the IAC Championships the strangest thing happened. Fred came up to me and asked “Matt, were you serious about my Bucker? If so, I think it’s time to sell it, I’m never going to get to it” Two weeks later it was in my basement!

I dove in on the project. Lots of disassembly and cleaning. The plane was 100% complete still in original Spanish covering. Over the next couple years I got the fuselage about 70% complete. The wings were still in need of work…. I was going to modify it for a Lycoming engine for ease of operation and power. Well the plane stalled out and sat in the basement untouched for a few years due to work, airshows and other distractions. Well, last year I approached a fellow in Live Oak Florida that has built 3 award winning Jungmanns if he would be interested in finishing up plane and get it ready to cover. Two weeks later….you guessed it; my Jungmann was sitting in his hanger! That was just about a year ago. As you can see in the photo, it has its wings on for the first time. That was a milestone in the project. He expects it to be ready for me to come get in May. I will then dive into the fabric and paint work. I have covered 4 airplanes an love that type of work. I’m looking forward to finishing it up.

I have decided as well to go with an original engine. They are Spanish engines called Tigre’s. 125 hp, 4 cylinder, inverted inline engines. You can pick them up for about $1000 each.(yes, Dave at DA, that’s only $1000!!) Most are run out and high time engines. No new parts exist, so most people buy up a few engines and take the best parts. This to me seems a little scary to put an old run out engine on a freshly done expensive airframe. So, with the help of two other Tigre owners I have started to develop a system of real overhauls. We will be pouring new main and connecting rod bearings and having them align bored/reamed, casting new pistons, new modern piston rings, new custom made sodium filled valves, new valve springs, and new gaskets. With the help of some of our FG friends, one being Chris in S.C. I will be cutting a complete set of new gaskets on a laser cutter. Chris is painstakingly transferring the dimensions of old, broken and cracked gaskets into CAD so we can cut the new ones. This is no small task and he has done a great job. I have also located a cylinder shop in Indiana to do a complete overhaul. New valve guides, seats, chrome to new specs. When all is said and done, we will have as close to a majored engine as you can get. I’ll be running a modern pressure carburetor for reliability and inverted capability.

I plane on painting it in Swiss Air Force colors. AN Orange Yellow with red rudder and Swiss cross, Crosses on the wings and the black stripe over/under the cowl and a squadron number. I included a picture of the last Bucker that my friend Larry completed. Mine will be identical to this one.

I Love everything Bucker. I was able to purchase an RC Bucker Jungmeister this summer from Gary Allan. He and his brother flew at Top Gun with this plane for a few years. Gary is planning on doing a 1/3 scale version of my Jungmann as well. I’m sure it will be another show stopping model.

My planes is a 1946 version, serial number 448, registered as N131BU. Maybe some day I’ll bring it to the Nall instead of the CAP!

This should be fun!

[66stang]

Matt that's a very awesome story... The plane looks great and it would be nice if you could have Great Planes model it. This looks like the model you flew at some comp. I saw the photo in AMA mag. I thought then that it would be a great plane to model.

[kjkimball]

Matt,

Looking good. We built props for Larry in years past when we had Falcon Propellers. I see you have gone with the wide gear leg braces and cleveland wheels/brakes. We have done a fair amount of work on Mira Slovak's bucker over the past couple of years. His is one he learned to fly in when in the Slovakian airforce. Anyway, his airplane was used in the movie Three Amigos after which it needed to be rebuilt. At that time, the guy that did it put the wide legs on it. Mira likes the original legs better but he grew up with it that way. The wide legs should be better or tire wear. Mira mentioned something about a stronger rear link in the legs when the wide gear is installed. We have restored 2 buckers in the past. Both spanish units like yours. One for a guy in Tampa and the other was for Ernest K. Gann.

Covered 4 airplanes, huh! I've got a few up on you there! Of course the fact that you are in the 'non-south', you may not have as gooda covering weather as we do down here.

Catch up with you soon.........Kevin

[TheTank]

Awsome Matt! I hope to see it one day in person!

[Pro1Foam]

My jelious bone make me say, "You suck". For real man that is BAD-ASS!!!!

[snap a saurus]

This plane must be light, a job well done

[Matt Chapman]

should be about 900 lbs. Thats before my fat A$$ gets in it! But who cares, it will just be for that mid summer evening flight with a loop or roll if I'm up to.

[CSpaced]

Hey that looks familiar, but hey Matt - I'm in NC not SC! (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

Great story btw!

[Kevin Y]

Thats awesome Matt. Good luck with it.

We need a build thread on this.

[Matt Chapman]

	Quote: Originally Posted by 66stang
	Matt that's a very awesome story... The plane looks great and it would be nice if you could have Great Planes model it. This looks like the model you flew at some comp. I saw the photo in AMA mag. I thought then that it would be a great plane to model.

Stang...that is my Bucker Jungmeister model. It's the single seat version with a radial engine. My full scale is a two seater with the inline engine.
The model was built by Gary Allen and he and his brother competed with it at Top Gun a few times. It's a perfect model. He is planning on doing a Jungmann model in 1/3 scale as soon as he gets some time around my full scale. No one will be able to dispute the documentation!

[p sme]

wow...great story! I hope I get to see this one someday. And you know what we all want...Pics!!! lol Keep up the good work

[Twizlair]

Thanks Mr. Chapman.