Hansa-Brandenburg DI
| Hansa-Brandenburg DI | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| Commissioning: |
Autumn 1916 |
.svg){kind=small}
The Hansa-Brandenburg DI was a fighter aircraft in the First World War, which was mainly used by the Austro-Hungarian Kuk aviation troops.
development
The Hansa Brandenburg KD ("Combat Double Decker") constructed by Ernst Heinkel near Hansa-Brandenburg in Germany was immediately nicknamed "Spider" due to its complicated star strut made of four star-shaped struts anchored together.
The KD also formed the basis of the Hansa-Brandenburg KDW seaplane.
Officially known as the Hansa-Brandenburg DI, the combat single-seater was rarely used in the German air force, but was soon built under license in Austria-Hungary by Phönix Flugzeug-Werke AG and Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik AG .
The aircraft was only a makeshift, since no other combat aircraft was available in sufficient numbers: The deep nose with the bulky radiator placed above it made it difficult for the pilot to see; In addition, the DI was not very stable in flight and the armament consisted of only a single, non-synchronized 8 mm Schwarzlose MG, which, mounted on the upper wing, shot over the propeller circle outside the range of the pilot.
Two series of 100 pieces each were planned for the machine, but they were probably not completely delivered: The 28 series from Phoenix with a 160 hp Austro-Daimler engine and the 65 series, which was supplied by Ufag . The latter machines received a 185 HP Austro-Daimler engine. Ufag also tried to install a 200 hp Hiero motor , but the machine, also known as the Ufag DI , was not up to the task.
commitment
The commissioning in autumn 1916 was accompanied by numerous accidents, which earned the aircraft the nickname “coffin”. Even the machine-gun fairing on the upper wing was called the "baby coffin". Phoenix then added a small fixed fin that stabilized the rudder. On the other hand, the plane was fast and had good climbing ability.
Production ended in early 1917. Germany only used the DI briefly in 1916; Nevertheless, the aircraft was flown in large numbers by the kuk aviation troops until mid-1917 and remained in use until the end of the war, where it was successively replaced by the Phönix DI . The successful fighter pilots Godwin Brumowski and Frank Linke-Crawford also flew the DI. Even after the armistice, some aircraft continued to fly in the service of the Republic of German-Austria , where they were used to repel the Yugoslav attacks against Klagenfurt .
Technical data Hansa-Brandenburg DI (deviations per series possible)
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Phönix Flugzeug-Werke AG, Hungarian Aircraft Factory AG |
| Construction year | 1916-1917 |
| Intended use | Fighter plane |
| crew | 1 |
| number of pieces | about 122–200, as well as 50 (?) by Hansa-Brandenburg |
| length | 6.35 m |
| span | 8.50 m |
| height | 2.80 m |
| Wing area | 23.95 m² |
| Empty mass | 672 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 918 kg (1375 kg) |
| Top speed | 187 km / h in NN |
| Climbing time to 1000 m | 3 min |
| Service ceiling | 5000 m |
| Range | 480 km |
| Flight duration | 2:30 h |
| Engine | a water-cooled 6-cylinder in- line engine Austro-Daimler with 185 HP starting power |
| Armament | a rigid 8 mm Schwarzlose MG M.07 / 12 |
See also
swell
literature
- Enzo Angelucci (Ed.): World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. Jane's, London et al. 1981, ISBN 0-7106-0148-4 .
- Peter L. Gray, Owen Thetford: German Aircraft of the First World War . Putnam, London 1962, (3rd Edition, reprinted: ibid 1987, ISBN 0-85177-809-7 ).
- William Green, Gordon Swanborough: The Complete Book of Fighters. An illustrated Encyclopedia of every Aighter Aircraft built and flown . Smithmark, New York NY 1994, ISBN 0-8317-3939-8 .
- ER Hooton: Phoenix Triumphant. The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe . Arms & Armor Press et al., London et al. 1994, ISBN 1-85409-181-6 .
- Reinhard Keimel : Austria's aircraft. History of aviation from its beginnings to the end of 1918 . Weishaupt-Verlag, Graz 1981, ISBN 3-900310-03-3 .
- Kenneth Munson: Warplanes. Fighter and training aircraft 1914–1919 . Füssli, Zurich 1968, ( Aircraft of the World ), No. 16.
- Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914–1918 . Lehmanns, Munich 1959.
- Anthony G. Williams, Emmanuel Gustin: Flying Guns. World War I and its aftermath 1914–32 . Airlife, Shrewsbury 2003, ISBN 1-84037-396-2 .
- Karl Meindl, Walter Schroeder: Brandenburg DI . Flying Machines Press, 1997, ISBN 1-891268-01-5 .
