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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1369.PDF
- IBER 16,1919 #JL^^IGX! SOME FRIEDRICHSHAFEN "MILESTONES" PROBABLY no other German aircraft firm can show such a series of seaplanes as that produced by the Friedrichshafen Aircraft "Works (Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen) during the War, and for this reason a brief reference to the various types, illustrated by photographs, may not be without interest to readers of FLIGHT. The illustrations have been published in Flugsport, and the following is a translation of the descrip tive matter accompanying the photographs :— " The Friedrichshafen Aircraft Works is the oldest German firm which has devoted its energies almost exclusively to the production of seaplanes. The firm was founded in 1912 and has produced a great number of seaplane types, under the efficient leadership of its founder and managing director, Dipl. Ing. Theodor Kober, who has been ably supported by his associates, in close co-operation with the Naval authorities and with various scientific insti utions. The main sphere of activity of the firm was the construction, testing, and quantity production of seaworthy single-engined seaplanes of the types used by the Germafl Navy for reconnaissance flights over the North Sea and the Baltic. That the firm was successful in this is proved by the fact that they have been able to supply practically all the requirements of the German Navy, and that a number of other firms have built their machines under licence. Among these may be mentioned the Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft, the Sablatnig Aircraft Works, the Gothaer Waggonfabrik and the Warnemunde Aircraft Works. As the seaworthiness of a machine depends not only on the right shape of float, but also upon the strength of the floats and undercarriage, on the correct amount of buoyancy and on controllability when alighting, it will be seen what an abund ance of experience has to be collected in order to fulfil the specifications for a seaworthy seaplane. A large proportion of the experiments was formed by tests on floats, of which over 100 types were produced. The F.F. machines, which have been well proved during the War, are all of the twin- float type, although before the War single-float machines and flying boats were also tried. " One object of the experiments was, among other things, to determine the number and placing of steps which best suited the different types of machines for starting and landing, and what float shape gave the best results for taxying. At the same time the floats should combine small air resistance and great rigidity with small weight, while the most suitable, strongest, and lightest construction of float details also required much work and very many experiments. The following are the most important types of seaplanes produced by the Friedrichshafen Aircraft Works :— " The F.F. 29 is a bomber with a 120 h.p. Mercedes engine (Fig. 1). The main floats are comparatively short, and a tail float is therefore fitted under the stern of the fuselage. The radiator is placed above the engine, and the exhaust pipes are passed under the lower plane. The pilot occupies the rear seat, while the observer sits in front, where are also the bomb releases. The petrol gravity tank is hung on the cabane struts. » The F.F. 31 is shown in Fig. 2. It was a reconnaissance machine designed also to carry bombs. As the machine was required to have a free field of fire in a forward direction, the tail was carried on open tail booms and the Maybach (160 h.p.) engine was placed in the rear of the nacelle and drove a pusher airscrew. The observer was placed in front with his moveable machine gun, and the pilot occupied the rear seat. Behind the pilot was the radiator. As the main floats were also fairly short in this machine a tail float was fitted. " The F.F. 33, which is shown in Fig. 3, was fitted with a 120 h.p. Mercedes engine. It was a bomber of very similar design to the type F.F. 29, except for the floats, which were of considerably different shape. » The F.F. 33B was designed for reconnaissance and had a 160 h.p. Maybach engine (Fig. 4). It was similar to the 29 and 33 types in- general design, but the pilot sat in front, the observer occupy ing the rear seat where was mounted on a gun ring a machine gun by means of which he could fend off attacks. The radiator is in two halves, mounted on each side of the uselage. While the floats of the F.F. 31 were provided with a Vee bottom nose, those of the F.F. 33B had a Vee bottom at the heel, and were flat-bottomed in front. " The FJ. 33E, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, was used for bombing and recon naissance, with and without wireless. In general arrange ment it is similar to the 29 and 33 types. While the first machine of this type still retained the tail float (see inset Fig. 5) later machines were found not to require this on account of the long main floats with which they were fitted. The radiator was mounted on the leading edge of the top plane. Generally speaking, the fuselage, wing bracing, wings and ailerons were designed to give good aerodynamic efficiency. " The F.F. 33F, shown in Fig. 7, was a development of the 33. It was, how ever, designed as a fighter, and was probably the first to be successfully employed by the German Navy in various theatres of war. The wing area was considerably reduced, which resulted in greater manoeuvrability. The pilot sat in front, and the observer, who was provided with a machine gun mounted on a gun ring, occupied the rear seat. In addition to the substitution of the smaller wings, with only two pairs of struts on each side, this machine was altered later on by being fitted with a shorter and better stream line fuselage. » The F.F. 33H, which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, was a development of the 33F. The fuselage, which was much shorter, was provided with a fin below as well as above, and the ailerons were re designed to give smaller resistance. The radiator was built in flush with the top plane, which also contained the petrol gravity tank. The floats were also redesigned to give smaller air resistance. A great improvement in this machine was the incorporation of horizontal struts between the floats instead of cable*, so that it was possible for the gunner to fire forward, between the inner pair of inter-plane struts and the propeller tips, since any damage accidentally done to the wing bracing in the inner bay was of minor importance as the load would be taken by the float tubes. " The F.F. 33J. " This type was fitted with a 150 h.p. Benz engine, and was used as a reconnaissance machine, fitted with wireless. It has been extremely successful, and has given excellent results during the War. The 33 J (Figs. 10 and 11) is a direct descend ant of the 33E. It is particularly seaworthy, is easy to fly, and very reliable, even for long-duration work. This machine is the first seaplane to be used successfully on all the seas of the world, and was used as a ship's 'plane on the Wolf. The main specification of the F.F. 33J is as follows : Weight, empty and without water, 2,300 lbs. ; load, 1,185 1DS- '• total weight, 3,485 lbs. ; length overall, 34 ft. ; span, 55 ft. ; float capacity, 61 cu. ft. ; speed, 71-77*5 m.p.h. according to load ; speed when taking off, 50 m.p.h.; climb to 4,950 ft. in 25 mins. ; duration, 5 hours. This type is, so to speak, unbeaten in any theatre of war, as it was purely for military reasons that the 33J was supplanted by machines of 200 h.p. Owing to its proved capabilities the type was retained as a practice and school machine, in which form it was known as " the F.F. 33S. " During the last years of the War practically all the Ger man seaplane pilots were trained on this type (Fig. 12), and nothing more need, therefore, be said about its utility as a practice and school machine. " The F.F. 33L. "This machine, which is shown in Figs. 13 and 14, is a further development of the 33H. It is fitted with 150 h.p. Benz or Mercedes engines. It formed a very happy compro mise between the demands for seaworthiness and for per formance. In accordance with its use as a fighter the 33L possesses great manoeuvrability, and is very seaworthy in any sea up to a rougness degree of 3. It is easy and com fortable to fly. Its main characteristics are : Weight, empty and without water, 2,070 lbs. ; load, 1,045 lbs. ; total weight, 3,115 lbs.; length overall, 30 ft. ; span, 43 ft. 6 ins. ; float capacity, 49 cu. ft. ; horizontal speed, 80 to 86 m.p.h. ; climb, 6,600 ft. in 30 mins ; duration, 3 J hours. This machine was equipped with one movable and one fixed machine gun, or one movable gun and a wireless outfit. M The F.F. 34 is of the pusher type, like the 31, but it has two plywood fuselages carrying the tail instead of the open tail booms of the 31. The machine, which is shown in Figs. 15 and 16, was fitted with a 240 h.p. Maybach engine, and as the engine was placed in the rear of the nacelle, the field of fire in a for ward direction was very good. It was used as a reconnaissance machine, and was equipped with wireless. Figs. 17 and jg show 1371
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