Erla 5

Erla Flugzeugwerke

Industry	Aircraft manufacturing
Founded	1930s
Founder	Franz Mehr
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Lightweight sporting aircraft (Erla 5)

The Erla 5—initially designated as the Erla Me 5—was a lightweight, single-seat sporting aircraft produced in limited quantities in Germany during the early 1930s. A trainer variant was showcased on extended flights in 1939; however, it did not secure any production contracts.

Design

Conceived by Franz Mehr, the Erla 5 featured a low-wing cantilever monoplane layout with a conventional design approach. It was equipped with fixed landing gear incorporating a tailskid and maintained a traditional tail assembly. Propulsion came from a piston engine mounted at the front, powering a tractor propeller. The pilot operated the aircraft from an open cockpit. Its wings were designed for easy removal, facilitating ground transportation by towing. Constructed entirely from wood, the airframe was sheathed in plywood except for the control surfaces, which were fabric-covered. The Erla 5 was also capable of performing aerobatic maneuvers.

At the time, it was described as a Volksflugzeug, meaning "people's aircraft" in German. In 1935, its selling price was listed at 3,875 Reichsmarks, equivalent to approximately €20,150 in 2024 terms.

Operational history

The initial flight of the Erla 5 prototype took place on 18 July 1932.

Between 1 April and 20 May 1939, Friedrich Aufermann completed a remarkable journey across three continents in an Erla 5, traveling from Europe through Asia and Africa before returning, covering approximately 20,000 kilometres (12,000 mi). Later that year, on 2 August, Heinz Gabler established a class distance record piloting an Erla 5 from Friedrichshafen to Vännäs, a distance of 1,915 kilometres (1,190 miles).

As of 2020, one Erla 5 remains airworthy and is privately owned in Switzerland, bearing the registration HB-SEX.

Variants

• Erla Me 5
• Erla Me 5a
• Erla Me 5b
• Erla Me 5c
• Erla 5D

Specifications (variant)

Bibliography

• "L'avion de sport et de tourisme D.K.W. Erla Me 5 a (Allemagne)" [The DKW Erla Me 5a sport and touring aircraft (Germany)]. L'Aérophile [The Aerophile] (in français). Vol. 41, no. 9. Paris: L'Aérophile. September 1933. p. 277.
• Grey, C.G.; Bridgman, Leonard (1935). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1935. London: Sampson Low Marston.
• "Die HB-SEX fliegt wieder" [The HB-SEX is flying once more]. Cockpit (in Deutsch). Schinznach-Bad: SAMedia. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
• "Kaufkraftäquivalente historischer Beträge in deutschen Währungen" [Purchasing power equivalents for historical sums in German currencies] (PDF) (in Deutsch). Frankfurt am Main: Deutsche Bundesbank. January 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
• Seifert, Karl-Dieter (2011). DKW und die Erla Me-Flugzeug [DKW and the Erla Me(hr) Aeroplanes] (in Deutsch). Erfurt: Sutton Verlag.