Deruluft (Deutsch-Russische Luftverkehrs A.G., or Deruluft) was a joint German-Soviet airline, established on 11 November 1921.[1] Deruluft opened its first permanent airlink between Moscow and Königsberg (via Kaunas and Smolensk) on 1 May 1922.[1] It started a new route between Berlin and Leningrad (via Tallinn) on 6 June 1928, and maintained both routes until 31 March 1936. Deruluft was a successful business, but terminated on 31 March 1937 due to the changed political situation.
 | |
| Founded | November 24, 1921 |
|---|---|
| Commenced operations | May 1, 1922 |
| Ceased operations | March 31, 1937 |
Business edit
Deruluft handled mainly post and freight. An overview of transported persons, mail and freight from 1922 to 1931:[2]
| Year | Flown distance | Persons | Freight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 174.768 km | 338 | 17,915 t | 1.047 kg |
| 1923 | 215.480 km | 382 | 23,487 t | 1.589 kg |
| 1924 | 352.786 km | 552 | 34,519 t | 2.382 kg |
| 1925 | 492.237 km | 1.463 | 54,059 t | 5.410 kg |
| 1926 | 514.185 km | 1.192 | 25,892 t | 10.733 kg |
| 1927 | 630.542 km | 1.809 | 49,694 t | 25.574 kg |
| 1928 | 790.465 km | 2.510 | 69,886 t | 27.992 kg |
| 1929 | 839.655 km | 2.692 | 75,238 t | 16.711 kg |
| 1930 | 950.512 km | 2.947 | 62,351 t | 27.244 kg |
| 1931 | 945.317 km | 3.660 | 87,690 t | 29.060 kg |
Fleet edit
Most of the aircraft used were German, and so was its organization until the 1930s. Its first aircraft were Dutch-built Fokker F.III's. Later German Junkers F13's were added to the fleet. At first, Deruluft carried only mail and officials, but on 27 August 1922 the service was opened to the public. From 1929 onwards the early Fokker F.III's were replaced by Dornier Merkurs. Early 1931 the Tupolev ANT-9 was added.
Accidents and incidents edit
- On 31 January 1935, a Junkers Ju 52/3mge (D-AREN) crashed into a hill in rain and fog near Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland) en route to Moscow from Berlin, killing all 11 on board.[3]
- On 7 March 1935, a Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland II (D-AJYP, Schönberg) crashed at Schievelbein, Germany (now Świdwin, Poland) due to structural failure, killing both pilots.[4][5]
- On 6 November 1936, a Tupolev ANT-9 (URSS-D311, Yastreb) struck trees and crashed upside-down near Nemirovo, Volokolamsky District (27 km (17 mi) southwest of Volokolamsk) after several navaids failed, killing all nine on board. The aircraft was operating the Velikiye Luki–Moscow leg of a Königsberg (now Kaliningrad)–Moscow passenger service.[6][7][8]
References edit
- ^ a b Allaz, Camille. History of Air Cargo and Airmail from the 18th Century.Christopher Foyle Publishing, 2005. p. 139. ISBN 9780954889609
- ^ Karl-Heinz Eyermann, Wolfgang Sellenthin: Der Luftverkehr der UdSSR. Gesellschaft für DSF, 1967, S. 6
- ^ Accident description for D-AREN at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 15 December 2012.
- ^ "D-AJYP accident description". Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- ^ "Accident Rohrbach Ro VIII D-AJYP". Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "CCCP-D311 accident description". Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- ^ "Tupolev production list" (PDF). oldwings.nl. Soviet Transports. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-30. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Катастрофа АНТ-9 а/к Дерулюфт в районе Волоколамска" [Accident of Deruluft ANT-9 in Volokolamsky District]. airdisaster.ru (in Russian).
Bibliography edit
External links edit
