Albatros W.4
| Albatros W.4 | |
|---|---|
 Albatros W.4, identification number 1486 |
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1916 |
| Commissioning: |
1917 |
| Production time: |
1916-1917 |
| Number of pieces: |
118 |
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The Albatros W.4 was a German naval aircraft in the First World War . It was a seaplane that was used as a reconnaissance and single-seater fighter .
development
In view of the growing threat from air strikes on their bases, the Imperial Navy drew up a specification for the development of a single-seater fighter. It made sense to develop this machine from the currently most modern land fighter aircraft, and so Albatros Flugzeugwerke resorted to the Albatros DI . The distance between the upper wing and the fuselage was increased and the wingspan was extended by one meter.
The prototype was ordered in June 1916 and delivered to Warnemünde with the marine number 747 in September 1916 , two more followed by December 1916.
The machine proved to be very maneuverable and offered the pilot good visibility. However, the swimmers had to be reinforced, made more streamlined and re-braced. The wings had to be protected against moisture, the Windhoff coolers were modified and later moved to the side. The cockpit has also been made smaller. However, after these weaknesses had been eliminated, the aircraft was gladly accepted by sea pilots and proved to be clearly superior to the other types of use in the North and Baltic Seas - the Hansa-Brandenburg KDW and the Rumpler 6B1 - in terms of firepower, operational range and speed.
The first series of ten machines with the numbers 785–786 was used between February and April 1917. The other machines delivered to the Navy were given the numbers 902–911, 948–967, 1107–1116, 302–1326, 1484–1503 and 1719–1738. In December 1917 the number in action reached 118 pieces. In June 1918, 60 aircraft were still in use at the front and a further 24 served as multi-purpose aircraft at various coastal flight stations.
Eight Albatros W.4s were sold to the Austrian Navy and served as hunting and reconnaissance aircraft in the Pola naval port from July 1918. The German naval aviators in the Aegean Sea also operated from Turkey with the W.4.
The replacement of the Albatros W.4 was carried out by the Hansa-Brandenburg-W.12 two-seater. At the end of the war there were still 67 machines in stock.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 8.50 m |
| span | 9.50 m |
| height | 3.65 m |
| Wing area | 31.60 m² |
| Empty mass | 775 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 1070 kg |
| Engine | a water-cooled six - cylinder in - line engine Mercedes D III |
| Starting power | 160 PS (118 kW) |
| Top speed | 160 km / h close to the ground |
| Rise time | 5 min at 1000 m altitude 23 min at 3000 m altitude |
| Service ceiling | 3500 m |
| Range | 450 km |
| Flight duration | 3 h |
| Armament | 2 rigid MG 08/15 7.92 mm (kuk-Seeflieger 2 × MG Schwarzlose 8 mm) |
See also
literature
- William Green, Gordon Swanborough (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. An illustrated Encyclopedia of every Fighter Aircraft built and flown. Salamander Books, London 1994, ISBN 1-85833-777-1 .
- Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918. Lohse-Eissing, Wilhelmshaven 1977, ISBN 3-920602-18-8 .
- Kenneth Munson: Warplanes. Fighter and training aircraft 1914–1919. Orell Füssli, Zurich 1968, No. 74 ( Aircraft of the World ).
- Ray Rimell: Albatros W.4 1916 - German seaplane fighter. Windsock International 1989, Vol. 5, No. 2.
- Michael John Haddrick Taylor (Ed.): Jane's encyclopedia of aviation. = Encyclopedia of Aviation. Portland House et al., New York NY 1989, ISBN 0-517-69186-8 , p. 56.
