BILL McBRIDE COLLECTION
No. 11797. Espenlaub E-14 (D-1570 c/n 3)
Sorce unknown

Espenlaub E-14

01/31/2013. Remarks by Kees Kort: "Entering the aviation scene in 1920, German Gottlob Espenlaub became known through his construction of gliders, and he was the first pilot flying a glider being towed by a powered aircraft. After building a powered glider he produced a number of powered aircraft at his factory established at Düsseldorf airfield in 1927.

The E-14 was a tandem two-seat high-wing monoplane appeared in 1929 and different engines could be fitted ranging from 50 hp till 95 hp, including the 95 hp Argus As 8 engine. Only a few were produced, including the c/n 3 fitted with a Cirrus III engine, that was first registered in February 1929. It was withdrawn from use in April 1932.

Another example was c/n 21, fitted with a Cirrus III engine, and first registered in June 1930 as D-1570. In December 1930 D-1570 was flown by Gottlob to the Qinque Ports Flying Club at Lympne Aerodrome, Kent, UK. On the 8th of that month, the aircraft was flown by W.J. Farquharson, a Lympne club member from Johannesburg, South Africa. He took off in very gusty weather and apparently stalled in a climbing turn, with the result, as stated in the Flight issue of December 16, 1930: "... that both his face and the machine were somewhat flattened on the aerodrome fence."

Created January 31, 2013