Dittmar HD 153 Motor-Möwe

The Dittmar HD 153 Motor-Möwe was a West German light aircraft that was first flown in November 1953.

HD 153 Motor-Möwe
HD 153A-1 Motor-Möwe two-seat aircraft at Stuttgart Airport in 1965
Role	Light civil utility aircraft
National origin	West Germany
Manufacturer	Dittmar
Designer	Heini Dittmar
First flight	November 1953
Introduction	1956
Status	out of service
Primary user	private pilot owners and aero clubs
Developed from	Dittmar HD 53 Möwe

Design and development

The Motor-Möwe, designed by Heini Dittmar who had designed the Dittmar HD 53 Möwe sailplane,^[1] was a motorized development of this sailplane and was initially designed to be powered by engines of 48–63 kW (65–85 hp). The HD 153 prototype was a two-seat side-by-side high wing monoplane powered by a 48 kW (65 hp) Continental A65 engine and was of wooden construction with detachable wing and tail assemblies to facilitate road transportation when needed. A second prototype aircraft was fitted with a 45 kW (60 hp) Hirth engine.^[2]

Operational history

The aircraft was designed for private and club use and served as a trainer and glider tug. Heini Dittmar, the aircraft’s designer, was killed in 1960 when his Motor-Möwe crashed near Essen/Mulheim airport. Small numbers of the type were completed by the end of 1960 and on 1 January 1961 four HD 153 and four HD 156 Motor–Möwen appeared in the West German civil aircraft register.^[3] I 1965 four HD 153 and five HD 156 Motor-Möwen were registered in West Germany.^[4] By 2007, no examples were known to be active.

Variants

HD 156 three-seat aircraft showing the revised front and side cabin glazing of this model.

HD 153

two-seat aircraft

HD 153A-1

production two-seaters

HD 156

three-seat aircraft fitted with additional side windows

Specifications (HD 153 with C90 engine)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Capacity: one passenger (334 kg (736 lb) payload)^[6]
• Length: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Height: 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 18.3 m² (197 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 8.5
• Airfoil: Göttingen 367 modified
• Empty weight: 465 kg (1,025 lb) equipped
• Gross weight: 760 kg (1,676 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 140 L (36.98 US gal; 30.80 imp gal) in two wing tanks + optional 200 L (52.83 US gal; 43.99 imp gal) overload tank^[6]
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental C90-12F 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 67 kW (90 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hoffman "HoCo" fixed pitch wooden propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn)
• Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
  
• Landing speed: 65 km/h (40 mph; 35 kn)
• Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)
• Ferry range: 1,872 km (1,163 mi, 1,011 nmi) ^[6]
• Endurance: 4.5 hours (13 hours with overload tank)^[6]
• Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
• Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 6 minutes
• Take-off run: 150 m (492 ft)
• Landing run: 130 m (427 ft)