Aviation B types
The Aviatik B-Types were military aircraft of the German Air Force and the Austro-Hungarian Air Force in the First World War .
development
Robert Wild, the designer of Automobil und Aviatik AG in Mulhouse (Alsace), developed the two-seater P.14 biplane as a copy of a French racing aircraft as early as 1913 before the First World War , 98 of which were delivered and also used as Aviatik B by the air force has been.
In 1914 production of the slightly modified aircraft was continued. With its 100 hp engine, it was classified as Aviatik BI (factory designation P.15B). Since there was no weapon to operate, the pilot sat in the back. The landing gear had a tail spur. The Austrian subsidiary Österreichische Flugzeug Fabrik is also building the BI under license for the kuk aviation troops. The BI carried its radiator on the lower left wing, while the B.II (factory designation P.15A) , which appeared in 1915, had a side radiator on the fuselage, shorter wings, a reinforced vertical tail unit and an engine that was boosted to 120 hp.
commitment
The unarmed "cavalry biplane" BI was already used at the beginning of the war in 1914, followed by the B.II in early 1915. Both aircraft were withdrawn from the front-line units in 1915/1916, but were used as training aircraft for a long time.
Further development
The B.II was also the basis for the Aviatik CI , the first armed German two-seater.
Österreichische Aviatik developed the BI independently into the B.II , which was supplied in a small series for the Austro-Hungarian air force. This B.II was also delivered as an armed version B.III to the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops, but was called a "gondola" in aviation jargon due to its unsafe flight characteristics due to the additional load and was therefore not very popular with the crews.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | B (P.14) | B.II (P.15B) |
|---|---|---|
| commitment | 1913 | 1915 |
| crew | 2 | 2 |
| length | 8.70 m | 7.10 m |
| span | 14.50 m | 12.49 m |
| height | 3.20 m | |
| Wing area | 45.0 m² | 43.0 m² |
| Empty mass | 650 kg | 700 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 970 kg | 980 kg |
| Engine | a water-cooled 6-cylinder in- line engine Mercedes DI, 105 PS (approx. 80 kW) |
Mercedes D.II, 120 PS (approx. 90 kW) |
| Top speed | 100 km / h | 110 km / h |
| Ascent time to 800 m | 10 min | |
| Climbing time to 1200 m | ||
| practical summit height | ||
| Range | 540 km | 400 km |
| maximum flight time | ||
| Armament (MG) | no | |
See also
literature
- Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi: The planes. From the beginning to the First World War . Falken-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-8068-0391-9 , ( Falken manual in color ).
- Reinhard Keimel : Austria's aircraft . Weishaupt-Verlag, Graz 1981, ISBN 3-900310-03-3 .
- Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918 . Lohse-Eissing, Wilhelmshaven 1977, ISBN 3-920602-18-8 .
- Karl R. Pawlas: German aircraft. 1914-1918. A documentation . Pawlas, Nuremberg 1976, ISBN 3-88088-209-6 , ( Aviation Documents 20), pp. 63-65.
- Michael Sharpe: biplanes, triple decks & seaplanes . Gondrom, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1872-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ AERO issue 16, p. 442.