Aviation 101 Junkers F.13
The Junkers F.13 was the world's first all metal transport aircraft, developed in Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced cantilever-wing monoplane at a time when most other manufacturers were still building bi-planes. Some aircraft were equipped with floats for water landings, as in the case of "Beni" and "Mamore" in Bolivia. The F.13 was introduced in 1920 and when production ceased in 1932, a total of 322 had been built. Today five surviving aircraft are on display around the world or in storage.
| Junkers F.13 on display in Munich - Photo: Pier Francesco Baglivo - JetPhotos.Net |
| Different views and configurations of the F.13 |
| The "unknown name" LAB F.13 c/n 710 - known in Germany as "Edelfalke" |
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If you enjoy this section of early LAB aircraft,
check out the post-1945 section. Link:
http://markspersonalfiles.blogspot.com/…/douglas-dc-6
Also the Facebook Page:
"Friends of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano"
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LAB Junkers F.13 Aircraft Fleet -
Detailed histories and photos of ten aircraft operated by Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
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One source lists the LAB Junkers F.13 fleet as comprising seven aircraft, another shows eight and another ten.
- El Oriente 0769 27 Jul 1925 w/o 6 Nov 1926
- Beni ? 25 Jan 1926 w/o 27 Jan 1926
- Beni II 0711 Apr 1926 ?
- Charcas ? Dec 1926 trans. to FAB 1933
- ? 0710 31 Dec 1926 ?
- Oriente II ? 1927 w/o 26 Aug 1929
- Chaco ? 16 Apr 1928 w/o 5 Jul 1928
- Mamore 0634 16 Apr 1928 sold in USA 1942
- Illimani ? 16 Apr 1928 w/o 1939
- Beni III 0788 16 Apr 1928 sold in USA 1942
This is based on an"Air Pictorial" magazine article - May 1983; the most reliable listing I could find.
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"El Oriente"
| "El Oriente" ? |
Junkers F.13 c/n 0769 ?
History:
Built by Junkers Flugzeug-und Motorenwerke AG (JFM) - Dessau, Germany Early 1920's ?
http://google.com/+Markspersonalfiles
On the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Bolivia's independence from Spain, the German community in Bolivia donated an airplane to the Bolivian people with the intent of forming a commercial air transport company. This aircraft was the Junkers F.13, construction number 0769.
The cost was 12,000 pounds sterling. The disassembled aircraft arrived by train from Argentina to the city of Cochabamba, where it was re-assembled in July 1925. The aircraft was accompanied by a pilot from Junkers, Willy Neuenhoffen, who began a series of test flights on 27 July. On 5 Aug the first commercial flight took place: Cochabamba to Sucre.
The plane was delivered on 16 Aug 1925 to the group that would one month later become Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, and was baptized with the name "El Oriente"; some sources use "Oriente".
During Aug - Sep 1925 "El Oriente" flew 7468 kilometers and transported 366 passengers and 320 kilos of mail. On 7 Nov 1925 the same pilot, Neuenhoffen, set a South American altitude record of 6650 meters (about 20,000 feet).
Unfortunately "El Oriente" crashed on 6 Nov 1926 in adverse weather conditions 20 km from Santa Cruz. The two man crew and three passengers perished.
Note: Information about aircraft operated by LAB in the 1920's and 1930's is very sparse and sometimes confusing and conflicting. I found three different aircraft associated with the names "Oriente" or "El Oriente".
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"Beni"
| Junkers F.13 "Beni" ? 1926 ? |
Junkers F.13 c/n ?
History:
Built by Junkers - JFM - Dessau, Germany ?
LAB named "Beni" 25 Jan 1926
Crashed on take-off at La Paz enroute to Cochabamba - on the following day ! 26 Jan 1926
- destroyed and w/o
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Beni II
Junkers F.13 c/n 0711
History:
Built by Junkers - JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg No. D-322
- named "Alk"
Part of the Second South America Sales Tour 1924
Aero Lloyd Cordoba - Argentina ? ?
LAB Beni II 1925 ?
No additional information is available
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Charcas
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A line of Junkers F.13s including "Mamore" and "Charcas" - probably 1928 |
Junkers F.13 c/n ?
History:
Built by Junkers - JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg. No. ?
LAB Charcas Dec 1926
Transferred to the Bolivian military during the Chaco War 1933
Crashed in the Chaco ?
No addition information is available
| Crashed while operated by the Bolivian military during the Chaco War |
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Unknown name
| Named "Edelfalke", then "Cordoba", then flew for LAB |
Junkers F.13 - LVAG ? c/n 0710
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany German Reg. No. D-321 Jan 1924
- named "Edelfalke"
Part of Second South American Sales Tour 1924
Aero Lloyd Cordoba R-ACTA 1925
- named "Cordoba"
LAB some sources list as "Oriente" 31 Dec 1926
No additional information
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Oriente II
| Probably "Oriente II" c. 1928 |
Junkers F.13 c/n ?
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg. No. ? ?
LAB "Oriente II" 1927
Crashed ? written off - (w/o) 26 Aug 1929
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Chaco
| Similar Junkers F.13s |
Junkers F.13 c/n ?
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg. No. ? ?
Bought from Junkers Mission (South American Sales Tour ?) ?
Argentina ? ?
LAB "Chaco" 16 Apr 1928
Crashed at Bacas ? Bolivia ? " 5 Jul 1928
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Mamore
| "Mamore" and "Charcas" - c.1928 |
Junkers F.13 c/n 0634
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany German Reg. No. D-218 (D-OPOX) Nov 1922
- named "Kauz"
South America Sales Tour 1924
Replaced original D-217 in Brazil ?
Lloyd Aereo Cordoba R-ACTA 1924
- converted to F.13W floatplane ?
- used in the Buenos Aires to Montevideo route equipped with floats
- accident in Rio de la Plata 1926
- repaired
- re-registered R-ACTV Apr 1928
| Junkers F.13 R-ACTA as a floatplane on the Rio de la Plata - 1924-1926 |
LAB "Mamore" 16 Apr 1928
- used in the Chaco War
Sold in the USA ?? 1942
| "Mamore" as a floatplane - late 1920's |
| Junkers F.13 "Mamore" as a floatplane |
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Illimani
| Junkers F.13 "Illimani" - Photo: Jacques Hemet Collection |
Junkers F.13 c/n ?
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg. No. ? ?
South America Sales Tour ?
Argentina ? ?
LAB "Illimani" 16 Apr 1928
Crashed ? " 1939
No additional information
| Drawing of Junkers F.13 "Ilimani" |
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Beni III
Junkers F.13 c/n 0788
History:
Built by Junkers JFM - Dessau, Germany Reg. No. ? Jun 1924
- named "Hammerkopf"
South America Sales Tour ?
Lloyd Aereo Cordoba R-ACTB ?
- converted to F.13 W floatplane ?
- used on the Buenos Aires- Montevideo route equipped with floats
- re-registered R-ACTW Apr 1928
LAB "Beni III" May 1928
- used by the Bolivian military in the Chaco War
Sold in the USA ? 1942
Comments
Latest comments
Los K-8 llegaron a Bolivia recién en 2011,no en 1993. La pista podría ser la de Tarija.
FRIMO= Frigorífico Movima, empresa de carga de los años 70- 80 
Thank you for creating this website on the LAB fleet. I am writing a book, set in 1996, flight Riberalto, Bolivia to La Paz Bolivia & my research led me here. It was incredibly informative & helpful!
Steeling my pictures from La Paz 1973 they have my copyright, no permission is ask
Robert Chimelli
Que página más extraordinaria - felicitaciones y un enorme GRACIAS!!!
Robert Chimelli
This such a FANTASTIC page - congratulations and a BIG thank you!!!