F-13 From Canada To Berlin

     Last week as the world over felt once again the pain reflected in images of a destroyed World Trade Center in New York City, there were also expressions of grief and many messages of hope.
     When we saw this picture we were taken aback.
     A cargo shipment sitting on a skid at FRA is a simple every day thing.
     But after all those pictures of the 9/11 aftermath fresh in our thoughts, we had to look at these images twice.
     Now the companion photo is what we love best because it somehow brings our sad memory of earlier this week full-circle.
     People celebrating life are our common hope.
     For our money the picture of pilots in old and new garb amidst two antique aircraft, one restored and the other en route to salvation is special right now.
     What the guy is doing inside the Junkers F13 however just defies description.
     For the record a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 under command of Captain Claus Cordes moved the remains of the F13 (four passenger 85 mph, 59 foot wingspan 31 foot long) aircraft.
     The F13 is the airplane credited with being the first equipment of many world airlines including Finnair.
     F13 was all metal predecessor of the fabled the Ju523m ("Tante Ju”) considered among the half dozen most important airplanes in history.
     So this “Lucky 13” was moved to a new home and life inside the German Technology Museum (Deutsches Technikmuseum) in Berlin.
     The J13 will be completely restored there with original spare parts.
     Lufthansa Cargo transported the J13 from Chicago (ORD) to Frankfurt (FRA) where the remains were transported by truck (ugh!) to Berlin.
     For the record Capt. Claus Cordes, Lufthansa Cargo, Prof., Dr. Holger Steinle, German Technology Museum are pictured celebrating the event.
     This F13 was produced in Dessau in 1930.
     The Canadian owner named this aircraft "City of Prince George".
     On July 23, 1933 the aircraft crashed near McConnell Lake in British Columbia.
     Four passengers aboard were slightly injured.
     In summer 1981 the wreckage was retrieved by the Western Canada Aviation Museum and brought to Winnipeg.
     A rare find, although 322 were produced, only five F13 are known to exist.
(Geoffrey)