*( D-UVON ref. Seifert, Die Deutsche Luftfahrt 28)
Type a , 2 + 8-10 seat airliner b , 2 + 8-10 seat airliner b2 , 2 + 8-10 seat airliner
Engine 1 BMW VIa 1 BMW VIa 1 BMW VIu
Dimensions Length 14.75 m, height 4.80 m, span 25.5 m, wingarea 65.0 m2 Length 15.90 m, height 4.80 m, span 25.5 m, wingarea 65.0 m2 Length 15.90 m, height 4.80 m, span 25.5 m, wingarea 65.0 m2
Weights Empty 2200 kg, flying weight 4500 kg Empty 2800 kg, flying weight 4600 kg Empty 2800 kg, flying weight 4600 kg
Performance Max. speed 175 km/h, cruising speed 154 km/h, landing speed 85 km/h, range 800 km, service ceiling 4000 m Max. speed 205 km/h, cruising speed 165 km/h, landing speed 90 km/h, climb to 1000 m 5.5 min., range 1000 km, service ceiling 4000 m
Type Werk.Nr Registration History
a 371 First flight 26/2 1928 ended with a fatal crash, pilot Hans Hackmack was killed.
a 392 D-1480, D-UFON, D-OAQE  * First flight 3/8 1928. "Franken". In Aug. 1928 registered to BFW AG, from July 1929 to DLH AG. Original engine BMW VI, from July 1929 BMW VI Zu. Modified to a in April 1933 with BMW VIu engine. Sold to RLM in 1935, chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1939 and used as a trainer. Destroyed 1941.
a 421 D-1676, D-UDAL, D-OFYZ "Schwaben".In June 1929 to DLH AG.  Sold to RLM in 1935, chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1938 and used as a trainer. Destroyed 1943
b 442 D-1928 "Rheinpfalz". First flight 2/5 1929.  To DLH AG in July 1930. Crashed 14/4 1931 at Reitschin. Two of the crew were killed , the 7 passengers and one of the crew members survived
b 443 D-1930 "Lechfeld". To DVS GmbH in Sept. 1930. Crashed 6/10 1930 into  hill while attempting to land at Dresden.  Six passengers and 2 pilots were killed
b2 540 D-2005,  D-UNA "Odenwald". In March 1931 to DLH AG. Crashed 27/4 1936 at Kiel
b2 541 D-2006 "Spessart". In March 1931 to DLH AG. Dismantled April 1932
b2 542 D-2025, D-UKUM "Westerwald". In March 1931 to DLH AG. Chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1938 and used as a trainer. Destroyed 1942
b2 543
b2 544
b2 545
b2 546 D-2341, D-UKIP Harz". To DLH AG in Sept. 1932. Sold to VARIG, Brazil in 1937, used until 1948
b2 547 D-2349,D-UMOK,D-OFO "Rhön". To DLH AG in Sept. 1932. Sold to RLM in 1936. Chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1939 and used as a trainer. Destroyed 1942
b2 548 D-2352, D-UJAR "Eifel". To DLH AG in Oct. 1932. Chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1939 and used as a trainer. Crashed 1943
b2 549 D-2359, D-UHEN, D-OCIR "Hunsrück". To DLH AG in Nov. 1932. Sold to RLM 1936. Chartered by Hansa Flugdienst 1938. To the Luftwaffe 1939 and used as a trainer. Destroyed 1941
The M 20 was designed by Willy Messerschmitt at Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, primarily for use with Luft Hansa which had ordered two in advance of the first flight. It was a development of the BFW M.18d eight-seater equipped with a single 375 kW (500 hp) upright inline water-cooled BMW VIa engine. It had a high, cantilever wing based around a robust D-section box formed from a single dural spar and dural skin forward to the leading edge. The fuselage was all-metal, with a mostly dural frame covered with metal sheeting providing rectangular cross-section accommodation, with four square windows a side, for eight passengers. The single-axle main undercarriage was strutted vertically to the wing.
The aircraft made its maiden flight on 26 February 1928 but was lost when pilot Hans Hackmack bailed out at low altitude and was killed after the surface stripped from part of the wing. A second M.20 was flown on 3 August 1928, and became the first of two M.20a series to fly with Luft Hansa.
Encouraged by their performance, Luft Hansa ordered 12 more, enlarged, M.20b aircraft. These carried 10 passengers in a fuselage with five windows a side. It had dihedral on the wing and a more rounded vertical tail
The Luft Hansa M.20s entered service in 1929 on routes that went from Switzerland via Germany to the Netherlands and from Stuttgart via Marseille to Barcelona. From the mid-1930s, they were operating German internal and holiday routes. Two were still flying such routes in 1942.
One former Luft Hansa airframe went to Brazil with Varig in 1937. It crashed in 1948, the only M 20 to survive the war.