Rimowa presented a replica of the world’s first all-metal passenger aircraft after years of planning and a 26-month construction project at the legendary air show, EAA AirVenture, in Oshkosh on July 20. The Rimowa-F13 is the first aircraft of this type that will fly again next year, after so many decades. Now, the public can join Rimowa on its journey to trace its rich heritage and ties with the Junkers in an exclusive photo exhibition at the Mandarin Gallery store from October 9 to November 30. Visitors will be offered a rare glimpse to images of the historical old Junkers F13, behind-the-scenes of the rebuilding process, and the beautiful Rimowa F13. There will also be three rare Rimowa heritage cases on display.
Dieter Morszeck, CEO of Rimowa, was involved in this exciting project from the outset and was overwhelmed by the sight of the F13.
“The reconstruction of the “mother” of all commercial aircraft had long been my dream, and I am delighted to see it finally come true. I’m extremely excited about this plane, and I can anticipate demand for other copies on the market, so we have already established the Swiss-based company Rimowa Flugzeugwerke AG for the roll-out. Here we will build the F13 in series to meet market demand.”
Having first taken to the skies in 1919, the F13 revolutionised aviation more than any other aeroplane and created new links between countries. The lightweight, cantilever low-wing aircraft superseded wooden models with a fabric covering and stood out for its reliability, robustness and long service life, as well as its low-maintenance design. Many features of the Rimowa F13 can be seen in the basic concept of modern commercial aircraft to this day. By 1933, more than 330 units had been built, only a few of which can still be found in museums today – none are airworthy.
