British Klemm L 25c G-ACXE

We recently had an inquiry about the undercarriage of the British Klemm L 25c F-ACXE aircraft which has just been certified airworthy again!

The restoration team noticed an identification tag with a Type and Serial Number bearing the name of Dowty Shock Absorber of Aircraft Components name of Cheltenham.

British Klemm L 25c, G-ACXE

The Klemm L 25 was a light single-engine two-seat touring and training aircraft produced by the German manufacturer Leichtflugzeugbau Klemm GmbH.

The Klemm L 25 was produced in several variants.

License production was performed by the British Klemm Aeroplane Company (later British Aircraft Manufacturing Co.) as the B.K. Swallow and B.A. Swallow II.

The strut is on the sole remaining BK L 25c, G-ACXE, manufactured in 1934 and just  restored to flight.

British Klemm L 25c, G-ACXE

The 2 struts are mounted on the British Klemm L25c. C/N No 21, she is the sole survivor of the 28 built back in the early 1930’s.

It is thought that all 28 would originally have been fitted with this type of strut.

As you can see she is now airworthy and in fact has just had her Permit to Fly issued by the CCA.

British Klemm L 25c, G-ACXE 1st Flight

The strut was dismantled and restored in the recent past by the previous owner and initiator of the BKs restoration.

The owner took the opportunity to take component photos, draft proper drawings and write up it’s operation, as he perceived it.

If anyone can provide detailed information about the Aircraft Components label i.e. when the strut would have been produced, what aircraft it would have been fitted with it etc… please contact us.

Credit to Jim Copeman for original inquiry and photos