Hansa-Brandenburg W.19
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| W.19 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter-reconnaissance seaplane |
| Manufacturer | Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke |
| Designed by | Ernst Heinkel |
| Introduced | 1918 |
| Retired | 1918 |
| Primary user | Germany |
| Number built | 55 |
The Hansa-Brandenburg W.19 was a German fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. It was a single engined two seater biplane floatplane, and was a larger development of the successful Hansa-Brandenburg W.12. It served with the Imperial German Navy during 1918.
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[edit] Development and design
Operational experience with the Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 showed that while it was an extremely successful design, showing excellent performance and manoeuvrability, there was a requirement for a floatplane fighter having greater endurance. To meet this requirement, Ernst Heinkel, chief designer of the Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke, designed the W.19.[1]
The W.19 was of similar layout to the W.12, but considerably larger (i.e. with a 2.6 m (8.5 ft) greater wingspan and a 1 m (3.3 ft) greater length). It was a single engined tractor biplane, with two bay wings. The aircraft was fitted with a similar inverted tailplane to the W.12 in order to give unobstructed fields of fire to the observer, who was seated in a rear cockpit, immediately behind the pilot. In order to compensate for the increased size and weight over the W.12, the W.19 was fitted with a more powerful Maybach Mb.IV engine.
Production aircraft were armed with one or two synchronised LMG 08/15 machine guns firing forward and a single LMG 15 machine gun for the observer. One aircraft was fitted with a 20-mm Becker cannon for tests.[2]
[edit] Operational history
The W.19 entered service with the German Navy in January 1918,[1] operating from bases at Borkum and Zeebrugge for operations over the North Sea. It was used in support of the smaller W.19 or Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 fighters, often scouting ahead for targets while the smaller aircraft waited on the sea. Combats often occurred between the various Hansa-Brandenburg fighters and large British flying boats such as Felixstowe F.2s and Curtiss Americas.
The W.19 continued in service until the Armistice, 55 being produced.[3] While it had been planned to supplement it with the W.33 monoplane, only a few had been delivered by the time the war ended.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (W.19)
Data from German Aircraft of the First World War [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 10.65 m (34 ft 11⅜ in)
- Wingspan: 13.8 m (45 ft 3⅜ in)
- Height: 4.10 m (13 ft 5½ in)
- Wing area: 57.8 m² (624 ft²)
- Empty weight: 1,435 kg (3,157 lb)
- Loaded weight: 2,005 kg (4,411 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Maybach Mb.IV 6 cylinder water cooled inline piston engine, 194 kW (260 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150.5 km/h (94 mph, 82 knots)
- Wing loading: 34.7 kg/m² (7.07 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 0.097 kW/kg (0.059 hp/lb)
- Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 6.4 minutes
- Endurance: 5 hours
Armament
- 2 × fixed forward 7.92 mm (0.31 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns
- 1 × 7.92 mm (0.31 in) Parabellum MG14 in rear cockpit
[edit] See also
Related development
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- 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.
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