12 German Trade Cards: Modern Aviation Firsts (Lindbergh, Wright), issued 1929

Description

Offered here are twelve color German Trade Cards of major landmark events in modern aviation history, including the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, Baron von Richthofen, etc. The cards were issued in 1929 by the Wagner Margarine Co. of Elmshorn, Germany for the company’s second album (no specific title). The cards are the complete Series 23 and 24 (“Development of Modern Aviation” and “Types of Aircraft”). The text on the back of the cards read:
Series 23, No. 1: De Pinedo’s Flight to South America.
The Italian de Pinedo accomplished great things with his seaplane “Santa Maria”. The plane had two motors each of which produced 500 HP and with that kind of power he was able to cover 44,000 kilometers in four months. He started his flight on February 23, 1927 from Italy and flew over Africa to Brazil and from there to Central America and then to the North American Rocky Mountains. It was here that he had the misfortune of having his plane catch fire. Four weeks later a replacement airplane arrived from Italy and he could then fly over Newfoundland and the Azores back to Rome where he landed on June 16, 1927.
Series 23, No. 2: Lindbergh’s Transatlantic Flight to Europe.
The American Lindbergh was the first person to successfully fly across the Atlantic to Europe. He started on May 20, 1927 from a field near New York and flew over Newfoundland to Europe. After 33 and ½ hours he landed at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, and had covered about 6,000 kilometers in his flight. Before him and after him there were many who tried to fly over the ocean, but almost all drowned in the sea.
Series 23, No. 3: De Bernardi’s World Record Flight.
Italian Major de Bernardi is one of the most successful Italian military pilots. He had been particularly successful in speed races and in the “Schneider Cup” race. He holds the world speed flight record of 512.5 kilometers/hour with his Macchi single-wing racing plane (seaplane with two floats) at Lido in Italy on March 30, 1928. His most recent success was his victory in the speed test for light airplanes in an Italian competition.
Series 23, No. 4: The “Bremen’s” Flight from Europe to America.
It is more difficult to fly from Europe to America than vice versa. That is because for about 300 days of the year there are strong contrary winds for those trying to fly from Europe to America. Many have tried to fly across the ocean in this direction, but only one has been successful, namely the Junkers plane “Bremen”. The German pilots Köhl and von Hünefeld took off with their Irish comrade Fitzmaurice on April 12, 1928 from Ireland and landed after a flight of 35 hours on Greenly Island near Labrador. Our picture shows the heavily damaged “Bremen” on Greenly Island.
Series 23, No. 5: Nobile’s North Pole Flight in an Airship.
In May 1928 the Italian General Nobile undertook a flight to the North Pole with the airship “Italia” although he was warned by many people not to do it. On May 24, 1928 he took off for the North Pole. However, he crashed on the return trip on May 25
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. Part of the crew went missing after the crash. Only 8 men could be saved after being stranded on floating ice for weeks. The rescue was undertaken by the courageous pilots Lundborg (Sweden) and Chuchnovski (Russia) as well as the Russian Icebreaker “Krassin”. The famous polar explorer Roald Amundsen took part in the rescue but died during the rescue operation.
Series 23, No. 6: The Flight of the “Graf Zeppelin” to America.
On October 11, 1928 the most modern airship of its time, the “Graf Zeppelin” took off on its cross-ocean flight to America. At first, the flight progressed successfully. However, on the morning of October 13
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the airship was hit by a strong storm which forced the airship down close to the ocean’s waters and destroyed the left-side stabilizer. The airship needed over 100 hours for the flight across the ocean and arrived very late at Lakehurst Field in New Jersey (near New York). The return trip also occurred with difficult circumstances, with the airship fhitting several storms over the ocean. However, it was able to reach its home field, Friedrichshafen, undamaged.
Series 24, No. 1: Liliental’s Gliding Airplane.
Otto von Lilienthal is considered the creator of the modern glider airplane. As early as 1780 people were experimenting with gliding devices. Lilienthal was born on May 23, 1848 and used modern technology in developing his glider and began test flights beginning in 1889. He tried to base his design on birds. Unfortunately, on August 9, 1896 he died during one of the test flights. His brother Gustav continued the work of Otto and founded a Lilienthal Society in Berlin-Lichterfeld.
Series 24, No. 2: The Wright Brother’s Airplane.
The Wright Brothers, 2 American technicians devoted their energies to building airplanes. In 1903 they constructed the first motorized airplane which attracted great attention in the United States. Our picture shows this motorized plane that was very light and let air flow through the large wings. Wilbur Wright was born in 1867 (his brother Orville was born in 1871) and died in 1912.
Series 24, No. 3: Baron von Richthofen’s Airplane.
The airplane with the black cross keeps the memory of one of Germany’s greatest hero of the air alive, Baron Manfred von Richthofen. On April 21, 1918 near Sailly-le-Sec, after he recorded his 81
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kill, he was shot down by the enemy. For a long time he was the terror of the enemy who called him “The Red Devil” because his plane was painted red and thus visible to the enemy from far away. He was first buried outside of Germany, but was reburied on November 20, 1925 in the Invaliden Church Graveyard in Berlin.
Series 24, No. 4: The Single-Wing Airplane.
Earlier, people built airplanes to be as light as possible, so that wind resistance would be at a minimum. In 1919 the Junkers Works developed a new type of airplane with a single, low-set wing which was constructed entirely of metal. The propeller and the motor were the main propulsion source. Today, airplane construction companies build some double-decker and triple-decker airplanes, on which the wings are positioned one on top of the other a short distance apart. The planes are powered by one or multiple motors and propelled by a two-wing propeller. We distinguish between three main types of airplanes: sporting planes, transportation planes and military planes.
Series 24, No. 5: The “Super Whale” Seaplane.
In addition to airplanes that land on solid ground, there are those that can land on water. In place of the landing gear with wheels, they have pontoon floats in the form of small boats. Our picture shows a seaplane of the future that can transport a large number of passengers. While land-based airplanes generally have the propeller directly in front of the cockpit, or have two propellers, one on either side, our picture shows a design where the motors are above the cockpit and passenger space. Today, there are already some airplanes with three motors (three propellers).
Series 24, No. 6: Fantasies of Future Airplanes.
Human beings have always wanted to conquer the air. Therefore, man closely observed birds and built flying machines that looked a bit like them. The first designs for a flying machine supposedly were made by Leonardo da Vinci, the great Italian painter who lived around 1500. In 1780 the Frenchmen Blanchert and Meerwein tried to conquer the air with machines based on kites and eventually developed gliding machines. Many imitated them and many of those who did paid with their life. But the spirit of discovery drove man forward. Our picture shows a giant airplane of the future as it is conceived by airplane designers.
The card measures 3 and 7/8 inches by 2 and ¾ inches.
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