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J-1 Blechesel
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Black and white photo of the German Junkers J-1 monoplane, known as the Tin Donkey, with a single wing and metal body, parked on a dirt airfield with trees in the background.
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J-1 Blechesel

airplane
Also known as: “Sheet Metal Donkey”
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Black and white photo of the German Junkers J-1 monoplane, known as the Tin Donkey, with a single wing and metal body, parked on a dirt airfield with trees in the background.
Junkers J-1 prototype, 1915 German Junkers J-1 monoplane fighter prototype, 1915. The all-metal J-1 Blechesel (“Sheet Metal Donkey”) featured cantilevered wings, which eliminated external bracing.

The J-1 Blechesel, nicknamed the "Sheet Metal Donkey," was a pioneering aircraft designed by Hugo Junkers. It holds the distinction of being the first successful all-metal airplane, developed in 1915. This innovative design utilized corrugated sheet-metal skin, a feature that influenced later aircraft construction, including by companies like the Ford Motor Company. Junkers was an early advocate for monoplane designs and all-metal aircraft construction, establishing his aircraft factory in Dessau in 1910.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Hugo Junkers
  2. military aircraft - Transport

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