Hansa-Brandenburg D.I
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| D.I | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke |
| Designed by | Ernst Heinkel |
| Maiden flight | 1916 |
| Introduced | 1916 |
| Primary users | Austro-Hungary Austria |
| Number built | 122 |
| Variants | Hansa-Brandenburg KDW Phönix D.I |
The Hansa-Brandenburg D.I, also known as the KD (Kampf Doppeldecker) was a German fighter aircraft of the First World War. Despite poor handling it was built for Austro-Hungary, some aircraft serving to the end of the war.
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[edit] Development and design
Ernst Heinkel chief designer of the Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke developed the KD in 1916 to meet the requirements of the Austro-Hungarian Air Force (Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or K.u.K. Luftfahrtruppen). It was a single seat, single engined biplane, of wooden construction, with plywood fuselage skinning and fabric wing skins. The wings featured an unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of interplane struts, where four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement. The interplane struts themselves were steel tubes.[1]
The KD had a deep fuselage, which gave a poor forward view for the pilot and tended to blanket the small rudder, giving poor lateral stability and making recovery from spins extremely difficult.[2] Armament was a single Schwarzlose machine gun, which owing to difficulties in synchronising the Schwarzlose, was fitted in a fairing on the upper wing, firing over the propeller.[3]
Despite these handling problems, the aircraft was ordered by Austro-Hungary as the D.I. A total of 122 D.Is were built, with 50 built by Hansa-Brandenburg in Germany (powered by 150 hp (112 kW) Austro-Daimler engines, while a further 72 were built under license by Phönix in Vienna, powered by 185 hp (138 kW) Austro-Daimler engines. While it was intended that the D.I also be built by Ufag, none were delivered.[4] The KD also formed the basis for the Hansa-Brandenburg KDW floatplane fighter.
[edit] Operational history
The D.I entered service in Autumn 1916. Its unusual arrangement of interplane bracing gave rise to the nickname "Spider" [5], while its poor handling gave rise to the less complementary nickname "the Coffin". [6] The D.I was the standard fighter aircraft of the Luftfahrtruppen until mid 1917, being used by several Austro-Hungarian air aces such as Godwin Brumowski and Frank Linke-Crawford.[5] Some Phönix built D.Is remained in use until the end of the war, being used briefly the the armed forces of The Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich), where they were used to fight Yugoslav attacks on Klagenfurt in Carinthia.[1] [7]
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (D.I)
Data from The Complete Book of Fighters [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan: 8.50 m (27 ft 10⅔ in)
- Height: 2.79 m [8] (9 ft 2¾ in)
- Wing area: 23.95 m² (257.8 ft²)
- Empty weight: 672 kg (1,481 lb)
- Loaded weight: 920 kg (2,028 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Austro-Daimler 6-cylinder air cooled inline, 138 kW (185 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 187 km/h (101 knots, 116 mph)
- Service ceiling 5,000 m[8] (16,400 ft)
- Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: W/kg (hp/lb)
- Endurance: 2 hours 30 minutes[8]
- Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 3 minutes.
Armament
- One 8 mm Schwarzlose machine gun.
[edit] See also
Related development
- Hansa-Brandenburg KDW
- Phönix D.I
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Green and Swanborough 1994, p.83.
- ^ Gray and Thetford 1962, p.64.
- ^ Williams and Gustin 2003, p.62
- ^ Silen, Art. IPMS Book Review: Albatros Productions, Ltd Windsock Datafile #118 Hansa Brandenburg D.1 IPMS USA. Retrieved 2 March 2008
- ^ a b Hansa-Brandenburg D.I - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I Retrieved 02 March 2008
- ^ Angelucci 1981, p.54.
- ^ Hooton 1994, p.25-26
- ^ a b c Angelucci 1981, p. 43
[edit] Bibliography
- Angelucci, Enzo (ed.). World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4.
- Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962.
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Hooton, E.R. Phoenix Triumphant: The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe.London: Arms & Armour Press, 1994. ISBN 1 85409 181 6.
- Williams, Anthony G. and Gustin, Emmanuel. Flying Guns World War I. Ramsbury, Wiltshire: Airlife, 2003. ISBN 1 84037 396 2.
[edit] External links
- Hansa Brandenburg D.I
- Hansa-Brandenburg D.I - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I
- Fighter Aircraft of the LFT
- IPMS Book Review: Albatros Productions, Ltd Windsock Datafile #118 Hansa Brandenburg D-1
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