MESSERSCHMITT 209 “MONSUN”€

1970’€“80

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,807. Empty wt. 1,067. Fuel capacity 37. Engine 150-hp to 160-hp Lycoming.
PERFORMANCE: (160 hp). Top mph 170. Cruise mph 158. Stall mph 62. Initial climb rate 1,180. Range 745. Ceiling 18,100. Takeoff run 590. Landing roll 655.

The 209 Monsun is built by the largest aerospace company in Germany, the Messerschmitt Bolkow-Blohm Gmbh. The Messerschmitt part of the name comes from the company that produced the famous ME-109 during World War II. MBB's light two-seater called the Monsun (Monsoon) is produced in three versions: the B0209 150 with a 150-hp Lycoming engine, the B0209-160 with a 160-hp fuel-injected Lycoming, and the B0209S, which is the trainer model with a non-retractable nose wheel and the choice of a 125-hp Lycoming or a 130-hp Rolls-Royce/Continental engine.

Flown for the first time in 1969 and produced in 1970, the low-wing Monsun features tricycle gear with retractable nose gear as an option. The main gear is non-retractable. Wings on the 150 and 160 models can be unbolted and folded back along the fuselage for ease in storage or for towing the airplane behind a car. The control lines to the ailerons and flaps automatically dismount and reconnect when the wings are folded and unfolded. With a large clear bubble canopy, the visibility in the 209 is excellent. Construction is all metal except for a fiberglass cowling.

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