Imo Weltflug (Flying the World)

Imo Weltflug (Flying the World) is a rare and significant electro-mechanical, flipperless pinball machine from 1937, manufactured by Max Jentzsch & Meerz of Leipzig, Germany. According to the book Pinball by Paul Zsolnay, this was the first German machine with an illuminated display, making it an important milestone in the history of German pinball manufacturing.

Imo Weltflug's gameplay features five balls per play and 16 passive bumpers on a metal playfield. The backglass, illuminated when lit, shows an airplane circling the Atlantic Ocean counter-clockwise, advancing each time a bumper is hit - an animation that, according to an owner, cycles through ten airplanes in total. The German word "Weltflug" refers to a flight around the world with several stops, fitting the aviation theme.

The cabinet measures 82 cm long, 42 cm wide, and 62 cm high. Two variants are known: one with a cabinet that hinges open from the side (tilt mechanism mounted on the cabinet bottom), and another accessed by raising the playfield (tilt mechanism mounted to the playfield underside) - possibly indicating separate production runs, with the second variant coined for old francs and wired for 220v. Little is known about the designer, but Imo Weltflug's illuminated animation and historical significance make it a treasure for collectors and historians alike.