Inside airship shed North at Staaken: Italian Ba.33s plus a Czechoslovak Praga BH-111, OK-BEH / T4, on the right. The identity of M4, flown by Renato Donati during the 1932 Challenge, was hitherto unknown. Also seen are I-MUNE / M5, I-MANO / M3, I-CORE / M1 and I-BIBI / M8. Not in the picture are I-CTUS / M6, flown by Francis Lombardi; G-ABKX / M7, flown by Winifred Spooner as a guest of the Italians; and I-BLEA / M2, which crashed during the rally through Europe. The Italian team was then withdrawn. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

The Spartan Arrow was flown by Hugh Andrews during the 1930 Challenge. Also visible are PWS-50 SP-ADB / O6; Caudron C.193s F-AJSH / L3 and F-AJSG / M1; Breda Ba.15 CH-257 / S1; DH.60 Moth G-AAHR / K3; RWD-2s SP-ADH / P4 and SP-ADJ / P5; and RWD-4 SP-ADM / P2. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

The attention goes to a French Potez 43, F-AMBN /K3, but SP-AHN / O6 would win the 1932 Challenge International de Tourisme with pilot Franciszek Żwirko and mechanic Stanisław Wigura. They came twelfth in the rally around Europe, but had the best score in the technical trials at Berlin - Staaken. The photo is assumed taken there because the barrier for the take-off trial seems to be lying on the runway. The competing planes wore black or red tail stripes - red for light aircraft with empty weights up to 336 kg. Żwirko and Wigura were killed when SP-AHN crashed a few weeks later.

Short take-off trials. Each crew got two training attempts and two trials, choosing a take-off distance to get over the gate. WWI ace Reinhold Poss in this Klemm came eighth in this trial, third in the rally and second overall in the European Challenge. Overall winner Fritz Morzik in a BFW M23 was also from Germany, meaning the contest returned to Staaken in 1932. The Berlin - Lehrte - Hanover railroad runs in the background. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Flying his Walter Venus-powered Ba.15, Jean Pierroz from Lausanne came 14th overall in the 1930 European Challenge for touring aircraft. Seen on the right here in an airship shed is a Spanish DH.60G Moth, M-CKAA / T5, and on the left a Spartan Arrow, G-AAWZ / K4. Staaken was overtaken as Berlin's airport by Tempelhof, which was much more central. The field is now a solar farm. Photo from: Walter / Státní oblastní archiv v Praze

The prototype of the Rohrbach Ro VIII Roland airliner, presumably photographed soon after its first flight. The airframe was delivered to Lufthansa with the name Zugspitze, but soon moved on to Spain to become M-CAAC, one of the first aircraft of Iberia. Returned to Germany in August 1928 and rebuilt as Ro VIIIMb bomber. Photo from: SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek