[3] On 27 April 1934, the first prototype Bü 131 performed its maiden flight, which was roughly two years after the company had been founded in Berlin-Johannisthal by Carl Bücker.

Comprising both metal and wooden construction, the Bü 131 was designed to be suitable in the trainer role, and even to perform aerobatic manoeuvres.

In excess of 1,300 Bü 131s were operated by the military air services of Imperial Japan under local designations of Kokusai Ki-86 and Kyushu K9W.

It has proved to be a relatively popular biplane with private pilots, who have often elected to have their aircraft refitted with modern engines for increased performance.

He later returned to Germany with Anders J. Andersson, a young designer from SAAB, and founded a new company, Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH, in Berlin-Johannisthal during 1932.

[4] Early aircraft were powered by a single Hirth HM60R four-cylinder inverted air-cooled inline engine, capable of producing up to 80 hp (60 kW).

[3][4] The Bü 131C model, which never entered quantity production, was powered by the British Blackburn Cirrus Minor, capable of up to 80 hp (60 kW).

[3] During the Second World War, the aircraft served with nearly all of the Luftwaffe's primary flying schools, as well as with night harassment units such as Nachtschlacht Gruppen (NSGr) 2, 11, and 12.

[6] In the 1950s, C-104s were phased out of Czechoslovak Air Force duties, being transferred to aeroclubs, with the last aircraft being retired from Svazarm flying clubs in 1964.

[11] In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Spanish, Swiss, and Czech governments disposed their Bü 131s, often to private owners, leading to numerous aircraft being exported to the United States.

[citation needed] Well known aerobatic pilot Marion Cole flew a Bucker Jungman fitted with a Lycoming IO-360 with an inverted fuel system in many airshows and in the World Championship held in East Germany in 1968 as a member of the American Team.

[citation needed] During 1994, the Bü 131 was briefly restored to production using leftover CASA jigs by Bücker Prado in Spain, resulting in 21 aircraft being constructed as the BP 131.

[3] Also in the 1990s, Janusz Karasiewicz also started production of a derivative of the Bü 131 in Poland, basing the aircraft on original Czech design information.