Daimler L 20

The Daimler L 20 is a monoplane, two-seater out of tandem of sport built in the years 1920. It is the first plane drawn by Hans Klemm to be built in series.

Daimler L 20

It was a monoplane with low wing cantilever out of cloth-lined wooden whose fuselage and center section of aerofoil were carried out together, the external plans coming to fix itself on the central level by 4 bolts. The empennage was also dismountable to facilitate transport. Built (S) in 1923, the prototype (S) were tested in sailplane then with various engines: Harley-Davidson of 12 ch, Daimler F6902 (L 20a) and F46756. The series production began in 1924 and more than one hundred of apparatuses was built, often indicated Klemm L 20. This apparatus was many sporting successes, like a victory with the contest of the light planes of Brussels in 1927 and several international records of altitude or distance.

Versions

L 20A1: First model of series, whose production was launched in 1924 with an engine Daimler F7502.
L 20B1: Model appeared in 1925, always with F7502 engine.
L 20B2: Appeared at the end of 1925 this model received a Salmson 9Ad.
L 20C1: Single-seater with scale reduced by 3 m and driving F7502.
L 20C1W: Single-seat engine seaplane Daimler F46756.
L 20C2W: The precedent with a Daimler F7502.
L 20D1: Single-seater F7502 engine;
L 20D1W: Version seaplane of the precedent.
L 20D2W: An engine Salmson 9Ad.

A round the world tour in solo…

August 9th, 1928 the baron Friedrich-Karl von König-Warthausen took off of Berlin for Moscow on board a L 20B baptized Kamerad , well decided to gain the Hindenburg price, offered by the president Paul Von Hindenburg to reward the best sporting flight for the year. Von König-Warthausen was 22 years old and a score of hours solo aboard the monoplane which his/her father had offered to him. Five days after its arrival with Moscow it decided to carry on its road for Bakou and Teheran. It set out again on September 23rd for Shiraz, Bushire (where it learned that it had gained the Hindenburg price), Bandar Abbas and Karachi. December 17th it set out again of Karachi for Nasirabad, Allahabad and Calcutta. After having carried out some repairs on its plane it redécolla on February 5th for Singapore, where he was posed on March 25th after stopovers with Rangoon and Bangkok. After having gained Shanghai in boat, it accomplished a flight return ticket until Nankin, then embarked for Kobe, with the Japan, and left Yokohama on May 25th for Hawaii and San Francisco. Renamed Hünefeld , of the name of a friend from which von König-Warthausen comes to learn death, the Klemm again was repaired and gone up with Alameda. Von König-Warthausen was to then cross the the United States in flight via Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, El Paso, Dallas, Saint-Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and finally Roosevelt Field, Long Island. November 15th, 1929 it embarked finally for Bremen, where it arrived on November 21st after a turn of remarkable world, taking into account the brittleness of the plane used and the equipment of navigation used, even if part of the voyage were carried out by sea route. This plane is preserved today (partially rebuilt) at the Mercedes-Benz Museum of Stuttgart.

… and of the American repercussions

In the mobility of this tour the American firm Aeromarine made register on the American register under designation Boland L-20 a L 20 with Daimler engine of 20 ch for evaluation. It was the beginning of a collaboration which was going to lead to the creation of Aeromarine-Klemm. Several others others L 20 were related to the American register 4920,… under designation Klemm L 20, probably imported of Germany before the beginning of the agreements between Klemm and Aeromarine.

Two derived

Daimler L 21

In 1925 the newspaper Berliner Zeitung organized a contest of planes of sport having to have a minimum capacity of 40 ch. Daimler presented two L 20 indicated L 21a and L 21b, modified to receive two engines Daimler F7502 in the aerofoil. They gained the test in their category, but did not give place to development.

Daimler L 22

Last plane produced by the firm Daimler Motorenwerke Gesellschaft, it was a L 20 experimental carried out beginning 1927. To improve the performances while preserving the F7502 engine, Hans Klemm drew a new fuselage of oval section and careened the undercarriage. Property of Klemm, the prototype was modified in 1929 to receive a Salmson 9Ad, becoming L22a , then was transformed into Klemm KL 22 with an engine Hirth HM60 and a closed cabin.

External bond

the detailed account of the round the world tour of Friedrich-Karl von König-Warthausen
Illustrated report of the round the world tour of Friedrich-Karl von König-Warthausen

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