Yesterday, two vehicle enthusiast friends, Gerhard Bauer and Heinz Herz (on the right side), visited the Model Wind Tunnel of FKFS. They wanted to investigate the aerodynamic properties of the record-breaking Baumm IV motorcycle, the first two-wheeler to break the 320 km/h barrier in the 1950s. The bike was also known as the "flying deckchair" because of the rider's lying position. Herz's father drove the record-breaking vehicle and had an accident with it in 1956. "The bike's stable chassis saved his life," says Herz. But why the bike spun out at that time is unclear. Herz and Bauer want to get to the bottom of this mystery, as there are many theories about what happened: Did a crosswind, the ground surface or aerodynamics cause the accident?
Bauer built the model for Baumm IV with slight modifications, naming it Baumm V. The two pensioners used this model to test the bike's aerodynamic properties in the FKFS Model Wind Tunnel. However, the hoped-for results did not occur, as the adjustments to the Baumm V did not bring the expected effects. The cause of Herz's father's accident in 1956 remains unclear. "Disappointing," says Bauer - Herz replies: "We're still smarter". For the time being, both men agree, there are no plans for a Baumm VI.