Fieseler Fi 167
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The Fieseler Fi 167 biplane was designed as the prime torpedo and reconnaissance bomber for the new German aircraft carriers then in planning. With the beginning of the construction of the first carrier: German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin in 1937, two aircraft producers, Fieseler and Arado, were ordered to produce prototypes for a carrier based torpedo bomber. By summer of 1938 the Fiesler design proved to be superior to the Arado design, the Ar 195.
Like the famous Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, the Fi 167 had surprising slow-speed capabilities; the plane would be able to land almost vertically on a moving aircraft carrier. Also, the long undercarriage legs were very forgiving for rough landings and even permitted 'dropping' the aircraft after deliberately stalling it the last two feet in the air.
After two prototypes (Fi 167 V1 & Fi 167 V2), twelve pre-production models (Fi 167A-0) were built. These had only slight modifications from the prototypes. The aircraft exceeded by far all requirements, had excellent handling capabilities and could carry about twice the required weapons payload.
Since the Graf Zeppelin was not expected to be completed before the end of 1940, the construction of the Fi 167 had a low priority. When the construction of the Graf Zeppelin was stopped in 1940, the completion of further aircraft was stopped and the completed examples were taken into Luftwaffe service in the "Erprobungsgruppe 167".
When the construction of the CV Graf Zeppelin was resumed in 1942 the Junkers Ju 87C took over the role as a reconnaissance bomber, and torpedo bombers were no longer seen to be needed. Nine of the existing Fi 167 were sent to a coastal naval squadron in the Netherlands and then returned to Germany in summer of 1943. After that they were sold to Croatia. The remaining planes were used in the "Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt" (German Aircraft Experimental Institute) in Budweis, Czechia for testing different landing gear configurations. No examples of this aircraft exist today
[edit] Specifications (Fieseler Fi 167)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 11.4 m (37 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 15.5 m (44 ft 4 in)
- Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 9 in)
- Wing area: 45.5 m² (488 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2,800 kg (6,173 lb)
- Loaded weight: 4,850 kg (9,920 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,850 kg (10,690 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Daimler-Benz DB601B 12-Cylinder liquid cooled inverted V, 820 kW (1,200 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 325 km/h (203 mph)
- Cruise speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
- Range: 1,500 km (808 mi)
- Service ceiling: 8200 m (24,606 ft)
- Wing loading: 107 kg/m² (21.9 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.169 kW/kg (0.112 hp/lb)
Armament
- 2x 7.9 MG 17 machine guns
- 1x 1000 kg bomb
- 1x 765 kg torpedo
[edit] External links
| Related content | ||
|---|---|---|
| Related development | Fieseler Fi 156 | |
| Similar aircraft | ||
| Designation series |
FK 166 - Fi 166 - Fi 167 - Fi 168 - Fi 158 - He 170 |
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| Related lists | ||
