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The Bu181 Bestmann is less common than either the Jungmann or Jungmeister. Only about 35 are thought to be flyable now, although there are persistent rumors of about 100 Egyptian "Gomhouria".  Production totaled about 3,500, and although manufacturing licenses were granted to Holland, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and eventually Egypt, each of these countries built only a few hundred aircraft.

The Swedish connection is particularly interesting:

Carl Clemens Bücker was no stranger to Sweden. In the early 1920's he started a company called Svenska Aero in Stockholm. The idea was to assemble aircraft from - in the beginning mostly smuggled out of Germany - pre made parts. When bussiness turned bad the company was sold to ASJA, that later became Saab. Because Bücker considered himself the victim of unfair treatment at the time of the takeover, he ten years later objected to giving Saab the license to manufacture the Bestmann. Instead, Hägglund & Söner in Örnsköldsvik got the contract for 120 aircraft. They were built between 1943 and 1946 and delivered to F 5, the Swedish air force's flying school at Ljungbyhed. Their military designation was Sk 25 and the Bestmann served in the air force for a decade, 1944-1954. - http://flyghistoria.se

The Bestmann was originally intended as a trainer, providing the convenience of side-by-side seating, but it saw little use in this role during WWII. Its main use was as a squadron liaison and communications aircraft, with the Messerschmitt Bf108 being the more popular advanced trainer.


Ralf Gaida's beautiful Bestmann flew again after the restoration was completed in 2010

Bestmann were originally powered by a Hirth HM504A engine of 105 HP. When you consider that the empty weight is about 100 Kg greater than a Jungmann, and of lower wing areas, you will gather that the Bestmann has a somewhat leisurely take-off performance! One wonders just how good a glider tug it was!

The Bu181 was by any standard a very influential aircraft. As well as being a direct ancestor of the SAAB "Safir", it fathered one of the greatest aerobatic aircraft of all time.

In Czechoslovakia, the Zlin works at Otrokovice built the Bestamnn for the Luftwaffe. After the war was over, they continued to build Bucker designed aircraft for the civilian market. The aircraft was renamed Zlin 181, 281, or 381 depending on the engine that was installed. (Hirth, Toma, or Walter Minor respectively).

Most people know that by 1960, the Zlin company had become the premier manufacturer of aerobatic aircraft anywhere in the world. At the world championships in Bratislava that year, some competitors were so amazed by the performance of the Zlin 226 flown by Ladi Bezak, that they cancelled their participation in the competition, and spent the two weeks begging Bezak for information on his aircraft, and the amazing Lomcovak that most competitors had never seen before, or even dreamed was possible.


 Dave Milner's (formerly my) Zlin226T - The big one that is :)

Fewer people realize that the Bestann, Jungmann, and the long winged Zlins (126, 226, 326, 526 & 726) are very closely related. Having worked on each of these aircraft, I can confirm that the rear fuselage structure, landing gear, cockpits, and the control systems are more than just similar. In some cases, parts are interchangeable!  EAA Zlin 526F article .

The final derivative of the Bestmann was the unfortunately named Heliopolis "Gomhouria." Derived from the Z381, the Gomhouria Mk2, the most numerous version, had a Continental C145, and a blown canopy rather than the faceted design of the original.