NAZI Airplane (Arado Ar.79) in Bali Island (NEI), 1938
The photo was published in the book "Theo Meier: A Swiss Artist Under the Tropics" by Didier Hamel, and Bali Expat, 20 June-3 Juli 2012, with title "The Mystery Plane – Uncovering the Story Behind the Photo"
According Mark Winkel in Bali Expat, this plane was the second prototype of an Arado 79, a two-person aero-sport trainer built in 1937 and flown on a record-setting Germany to Australia journey that travelled through the Netherlands East Indies. The photo was probably taken sometime between 7-15 January, 1938 and the women in the photo will probably be around 75-80 years old now. After comparing the plane’s shape (especially the unusual cockpit canopy and the shape of the tail fin) with all known aircraft in the Luftwaffe (which prior to 1939 was civilian and post-39 was military, but it used the same markings, including the swastika on the tail rudder), it was clear that the aircraft was not a combat aircraft – too small and no weaponry on it. So it might be a reconnaissance or trainer aircraft.
Laatst gewijzigd door Mathieu; 5 februari 2018 om 21:01
A small history of the mentioned return flight to Australia with the Arado Ar 79 D-EHRC.
The Arado Ar 79 was a "Sport- und Reiseflugzeug" (Sport and Touring aircraft). The strange thing about the 2 photos is that both sides had the Swastika on the tail. Normal was on the right side of the plane the black-white-red flag in horizontal stripes and on the left side the Swastika. The date of the first photo must be January 1939 because the flight begun in December 1938.
The mentioned flight began in Germany (Brandenburg) on 17th December 1938 with pilots Pulkowski and Jenett (both reserve military men).
On 31. December 1938 they landed in Gaya (India). After a reception, interviews and a short break they where on their way again. Over Bangkok, Sumatra and Java. From Bali was it a 2.000 km nonstop flight over the Timor sea to Darwin, Australia. After that the 3.500 km route through the middle of the continent to Sydney.
The way back was not via the shortest route but via Makassar, Borneo, the Philippines, Java and Singapore to Madras where they landed on the 9th February 1939 after flown a total of 37.000 km.
And there ended this trip, in a tragedy, because on a demonstration flight Horst Pulkowski with an Indian passenger on board had a low altitude collision with a big bird of prey and crashed. Both occupants of the Ar 79 died.
I translated this text from the German. Shortened of course.
Source: "Arado - Geschichte eines Flugzeugwerks" by Jörg Armin Kranzhoff, Aviatic Verlag.
ISBN 3-925505-27-X.
Ruud.
Laatst gewijzigd door ruudvanom; 14 juli 2014 om 17:05
Oeps. Hartelijk dank voor je opmerkzaamheid.
Ik schrijf het maar toe aan mijn onzekerheid momenteel, dat is het makkelijkst .
Mijn Mac Mini is in reparatie en ik zit momenteel op mijn oude spijkerbak de G4 met een 17 inch monitor te klooien.
Verouderd systeem (en langzaam...) maar ik ben blij dat ik nog iets kan doen, jammer genoeg is scannen niet mogelijk.
Hopelijk is het op mijn Mini alleen een software-probleem en hoef ik niets te vervangen.