Photos: Historic Junkers F13 Replica Takes First Flight

Flying was on hand last week to witness the first official flight of the Junkers F13 replica in Zurich, Switzerland. The near-exact copy of the first all-metal commercial airplane was built by German luxury suitcase maker Rimowa, which unveiled the airplane to great fanfare along with an extravagant party at the historic Dubendorf Airfield.

Check out the photos from the landmark public flight and the festivities that followed.

The plane took off to great fanfare from a grass runway at Dubendorf Airfield. Rimowa

The re-creation was built from laser-scanned parts from an original F13 in the air museum at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris. Thomas Lüthi/Rimowa 2016

The theme of Rimowa's event hearkened back to the Golden Age of Aviation. Rimowa

Rimowa's re-creation includes some modern touches, such as brakes. Thomas Lüthi/Rimowa 2016

Test pilot Oliver Bachmann and Rimowa President and CEO Dieter Morszek flew the open-cockpit replica on its first flight. Rimowa

The Junkers F13 replica is powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior nine-cylinder radial engine. Rimowa

Invited guests at the F13's first flight also attended a party featuring a lavish re-creation of the history of manned flight. Rimowa

Rimowa's party was held in Dubendorf’s famed Hangar 9, where Hugo Junkers built the first F13 in 1919. Rimowa

Replicas of the F13 will undergo certification flight testing and go on sale soon. Rimowa

During its first flight, the F13 circled the airport twice and returned for a picture-perfect landing against the backdrop of the setting sun. Thomas Lüthi/Rimowa 2016

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