Friedrichshafen G types

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The Friedrichshafen GI – V of Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen were bombers of the German air force in the First World War .

development

The Friedrichshafen large aircraft were similar to the somewhat better-known Gotha large aircraft, but were somewhat smaller and differed in the shape of the wing tips and the horizontal stabilizer.

The first bomber designed by the engineer Karl Gehlen at Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen was the Friedrichshafen GI (factory designation FF30), a three-stemmed biplane that was designed at the end of 1914 and flew for the first time in 1915. He was armed with a Parabellum machine-gun in the bow, which was made of plywood, while the rest of the aircraft was conventionally made of a canvas-covered wooden frame. The box-shaped tail unit consisted of two horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The engines were suspended on struts between the wings and drove pusher propellers . It is doubtful whether the GI was used with its insufficient bomb load.

It was not until 1916 that the Friedrichshafen G.II (factory designation FF38) followed as a double-decker biplane with a conventional tail unit and, like the GI, powered by pressure propellers. 18 G.II were manufactured by Friedrichshafen and 17 under license by Daimler. The G.II reached the front in late 1916 and was in service until late 1917.

It was followed by the successful Friedrichshafen G.III (factory designation FF45) and the Friedrichshafen G.IIIa (factory designation FF61), which later replaced it in production, with a larger wingspan and modified tail unit, which were mostly used as night bombers with black and blue camouflage until the end of the war. Both were armed with 1-2 machine guns in the bow and stern stand. The G.IIIa was also able to fire downwards with the rear MG against the night interceptors, who often attacked from below. Towards the end of the war, a version G.IIIb followed , in which the rear gunner's position was connected to the cockpit by a narrow passage. G.III were also manufactured under license from Daimler (245 aircraft) and the Hanseatische Flugzeugwerke (93 aircraft). A total of 709 aircraft of the various III series were ordered from Friedrichshafen, 75 from Daimler and 280 from Hanseatische Flugzeugwerke. 338 of them were delivered.

In 1918 the Friedrichshafen G.IV (factory designation FF62a), the G.IVa (Daimler) (FF62a) with pull propellers appeared in small numbers . Since these aircraft relied on the same engines, an improvement in performance could only be achieved through smaller and lighter construction. The stand for the bow gunner was therefore dispensed with. G.IV and G.IVa differ in the tail unit, which on the G.IV corresponded to that of the G.III, and on the G.IVa to the G.IIIa and b. Two series were ordered from Friedrichshafen and Daimler. Some aircraft were delivered before the end of the war, but it is unclear whether they were still used.

commitment

The Friedrichshafen G.II and G.III large aircraft were used by the combat squadrons of the Supreme Army Command ( Kagohl ) on the western front, primarily in the heavy bombing raids on Paris and Dunkirk and in Macedonia . The G.III turned out to be reliable, robust and little risk of accidents.

Further development

The Friedrichshafen GV (factory designation FF55), also with pull propellers, was not yet ready for series production at the time of the armistice . It was powered by two Maybach Mb.IVa. The bow was shortened further and was now behind the propellers. Its first flight took place on May 9, 1918. The first flight of a GV variant (FF.62) with Mercedes D IVa engines flew for the first time on November 20, 1918 and was therefore too late for further development.

In 1920 a G.IVa was flown over to the Soviet Union , which in 1922 procured another machine. A G.III served with the Polish air force until 1926 after the war.

Technical specifications

Parameter GI G.II G.III G.IIIa G.IV G.IVa
First flight 1915 1916 1917 1918
crew 3
length 11.90 m 11.05 m 12.80 m 12.90 m 12.00 m
span 20.00 m 20.30 m 23.70 m 22.60 m
height 3.15 m 3.60 m 4.14 m 3.50 m
Wing area 73.5 m² 70.0 m² 86.0 m²
Empty mass 1778 kg 2200 kg 2695 kg 2880 kg 2897 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 2785 kg 3171 kg 3950 kg 4980 kg 4994 kg
two water-cooled 6-cylinder in-line engines Benz Bz II , each 150 PS (110 kW) Benz Bz III , each 200 PS (147 kW) Mercedes D IVa , each 260 PS (191 kW)
Top speed 136 km / h 148 km / h 145 km / h 142 km / h
Service ceiling 4500 m 3600 m
Range 610 km 600 km
Flight duration 5 h
Climbing time to 1000 m 6:31 min 6 min
Climbing time to 2000 m 13:56 min 18:18 min
Ascent time to 3000 m 23:02 min 28 min
Climbing time to 4000 m 39:54 min
Armament 1 MG, 150 kg bombs 2 MG, 300 kg bombs 2-4 MG, 800 kg bombs 2 MG, 800 kg 2 MG, 1000 kg
number of pieces 1 35 approx. 236 approx. 279 approx. 48

photos

  • Large aircraft from Friedrichshafen, here a G.III

  • A Friedrichshafen G.IIIa bomber from 1918

  • Friedrichshafen GV bombers

See also

literature

  • Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi: Airplanes from the beginnings to the First World War . Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-8068-0391-9 .
  • Siegfried Borzutzki: Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH: Graduate engineer Theodor Kober . Berlin, Königswinter, 1993, pp. 121-22.
  • Peter M. Grosz: Windsock Datafile 65 Friedrichshafen G.III / G.IIIa . Berkhamsted 1997, ISBN 0-948414-97-9 .
  • Karlheinz Kens, Hanns Müller: The aircraft of the First World War 1914–1918 . Munich 1973, ISBN 3-453-00404-3 .
  • Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918 . Wilhelmshaven 1977.
  • Kenneth Munson: Bomber 1914-1919 . Orell Füssli Verlag, 2nd edition, Zurich (1976).
  • Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914-18 . Munich 1959.
  • Karl Pawlas: German aircraft 1914–1918 . Nuremberg 1976, pages 63-65, ISBN 3-88088-209-6 .
  • Michael JH Taylor: Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . Studio Editions, London 1989, p. 413.
  • World Aircraft Information Files . Bright Star Publishing, London, File 894 Sheet 47ff.
  • John Batchelor, Malcom V. Lowe: The Complete Encyclopedia of Flight 1848-1939 .

Web links

Individual references / comments

  1. ↑ also with two Mercedes D IVa , each 260 PS (191 kW)
  2. ↑ according to Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918. Wilhelmshaven 1977 around 24 aircraft were delivered