In the Tomáš Baťa Memorial in Zlín, there is already a model of the aircraft

Zlín – A model of the Junkers F 13 aircraft arrived today at the Tomáš Baťa Memorial in Zlín. The plane, in which the founder of the shoe empire, Tomáš Baťa, died in 1932, was also the central motif in the original memorial. The model was produced by the Olomouc-based company TechProAviation for the renovated memorial. The memorial, including the installed aircraft, will open to the public on Monday, said the memorial's director, Jana Válková, to reporters today.

Baťa died in the Junkers F 13 shortly after takeoff from Otrokovice, and in 1933 a memorial was built in Zlín in his honor. It was designed by František Lydie Gahura and is considered one of the peaks of Zlín's functionalist architecture. The building was later used by the philharmonic and the regional gallery, and the city then decided to restore the building to its original form and purpose. People first viewed the memorial after its restoration on October 28 last year, but the aircraft model was still missing at that time.

The production of the model was organized and financed by the Tomáš Baťa Foundation. According to its director, Pavel Velev, the current model is the same as the original that was in the memorial. Its wingspan is nearly 18 meters, its length is 10.5 meters, and it weighs over one ton. "The aircraft is dimensionally exactly like the original. It has shortened wings compared to the original aircraft because it wouldn't fit in the memorial, which is why they shortened the wings even in Baťa's time," Velev told ČTK. The plane has no engine, propellers, or cockpit equipment. "It is made of duralumin sheet, and inside there is a duralumin structure. It is made in such a way that it could fly if it had everything it is supposed to have," Velev added.

The aircraft is in silver and black colors. According to Velev, the preparation was particularly demanding. A model was created in a 3D program for half a year, in which the aircraft was broken down into about 2000 parts. It was especially difficult for the manufacturers to bend the corrugated sheet into the correct shape. The production took more than a year, with costs amounting to six million crowns. The city of Zlín, the Baťa family, and a number of sponsors contributed to this.

The appearance of the aircraft was also praised today by architect and building reconstruction author Petr Všetečka. "This is a significant moment. It was made by people who really produce functional aircraft, and I think that is evident," Všetečka told ČTK.

Today, the base of the aircraft was moved to the memorial using a crane, and the other parts will be assembled there until Friday, after which it will be hung and secured. Next week, people will be able to visit the memorial for free, and high attendance is expected due to the Zlín Film Festival. From June, the memorial will be open daily except for Mondays.

The memorial had already been open in trial operation earlier. "The interest is immense, it has always been full. Not only locals come, but also people from all over the country and abroad. We now expect enormous interest," Válková stated.