| Kl 35 | |
|---|---|
 Klemm Kl 35D | |
| General information | |
| Type | Two-seat sports andtraining aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Klemm Leightflugzeugbau Gmbh |
| Designer | Friedrich Fecher |
| Status | out of service |
| Primary users | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | c. 2,000 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1937–1944 |
| Introduction date | 1935 |
| First flight | 1935 |
TheKlemm Kl 35 is a German sporting andtraining aeroplane developed as a successor to theKl 25. A product ofKlemm Leichtflugzeugbau Gmbh it shared the same single-engine, cantilever low-wing configuration as the earlier machine, the major difference being the introduction of aninverted gull wing.
Probably Klemm's most important type,[1] the fully aerobatic aeroplane was shown for the first time publicly in October 1935 at the international Air Show inMilan and soon found many private buyers. Powered initially by an 80 hp (60 kW)HirthHM60Rinline,[1] it had fixed undercarriage,[1] mixed wood and fabric covering,[1] and the choice of open or closed cockpit.[1] Powered by the Hirth 60R, it became the Kl 35A (with floats, Kl 35AW),[1] while with the 105 hp (78 kW) Hirth, it was the Kl 35A (with floats, Kl 35AW).[1]
An improved Kl 35D, designed as aLuftwaffe trainer, with 105 hp (78 kW)Hirth HM 504A-2 engine and the option of ski or float landing gear, appeared in 1938.[1] It was the most numerous, with over three thousand built.[1]
A number of air forces purchased copies, including the Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovak.[1] TheSwedish Air Force bought several,[1] designatedSk 15, for training use (at least five of those wereseaplanes) and in 1941 began licence production, building about 74 more,[1] with some remaining in service until 1951.[1] The Lithuanian air force flew three.[1]
The Kl 35 was designed in 1934 under the auspices of theReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM). Dipl. Ing.Friedrich Fecher had overall responsibility for the construction. The so-calledGemischtbauweise construction was used: steel for fuselage, wood for wings and tail units and only small quantities of light alloy for linings were used. This became a preferred building method with the RLM around this time, because from considerations ofstrategic material availability.
Klemm suffered a setback in 1935 when the prototype Kl 35 crashed during testing at Rechlin. The results of further trial must have been satisfactory, because in July 1936, 23 aircraft were ordered for delivery between July and September 1937, with production planned to increase to 3 per month. Klemm was at the time manufacturing theFw 44 under licence fromFocke-Wulf.
By this time the RLM was already looking for a sub-contractor to build the Kl 35A under licence, choosingFieseler which was already undertaking licence production of theHe 72 andFw 58 alongsideStorchs at its Kasseler plant.
Further orders, to a total of 1,386, followed and new variants came on line, beginning with the Kl 35B with a new engine.
Manufacture at Fieseler ceased in November 1939, after 365 aircraft, when the RLM transferred licence production toZlin in occupiedCzechoslovakia.
Production ended in May 1943 with total production for theLuftwaffe having reached 1,302. The balance of production was for private and export customers, though since these would have to number nearly 700 to reach the oft-quoted total of around 2,000 this may be exaggerated.
During the late 1930s and throughoutWorld War II, the Kl 35 was widely employed in the Luftwaffe. Its main role wastraining student pilots—particularly in aerobatics, navigation, and transition to faster military aircraft. Unlike frontline fighters, the Kl 35 was not designed for combat, but its use was essential for preparing thousands ofLuftwaffe pilots.
Variants like theKl 35B andKl 35D featured refinements in engine type and equipment. Around2,000 units were built during its production run (1935–1943).
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(May 2017) |
No Luftwaffe machine is known to survive, but a number of ex-Flygvapnet machines have been preserved.
Data from The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II[5]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
