Albatros L 84
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| L 84 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Albatros Flugzeugwerke/Focke-Wulf |
| Maiden flight | 1931 |
| Number built | 5 |
The Albatros L 84 was a German tandem two-seat, single-bay fighter biplane first flown in 1931. Four of the five examples produced were built by Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau, into which Albatros Flugzeugwerke was amalgamated in that year.
Powered by a water-cooled 660 hp BMW VIu 7.3Z V12 engine, the L 84 had a fabric-covered fuselage constructed of welded steel tubes, and wooden wings skinned with plywood. Its armament comprised three 7.9 mm machine guns, two in fixed forward-firing positions and the third ring-mounted in the aft cockpit. Only the first prototype was completed before Albatros became part of Focke-Wulf, and this was destroyed during flight testing. A second example was flown in February 1933 by Focke-Wulf under the designation L 84C, using a modified cooling system.
The Reichswehr initially ordered twelve L 84s but cancelled the order after only three had been completed. Of these, one was designated L 84E and was tested with the Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIIS engine; another, L 84F, was fitted with a fuel-injected version of the BMW VIu. At least one L 84 was delivered to China.
[edit] Variants
- L 84
- L 84C - Focke-Wulf produced version with revised cooling system
- L 84E - example with Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine
- L 84F - example with fuel-injection
[edit] Specifications (L 84)
General characteristics
- Crew: two, pilot and observer
- Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI, 450 kW (600 hp)
PerformanceArmament
- 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.9 mm machine guns
- 1 × flexible 7.9 mm machine gun for observer
[edit] References
- Green, W. & Swanborough, G. (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 1-85833-777-1
- German Aircraft between 1919-1945
[edit] See also
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