Caspar U.1
The Caspar U.1 (sometimes known as the Caspar-Heinkel U.1) was a 1920s German patrol seaplane designed by Ernst Heinkel and built by Caspar-Werke.[1] The U.1 was designed to fit into a cylindrical container to allow it to be carried, then launched from a submarine.[1]
Development
The U.1 was designed to meet a requirement to fit inside a cylindrical container 7.40 metres (24.3 ft) long with a diameter of 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in); this allowed the aircraft to be carried by a submarine.[1] To reduce the time to launch the aircraft, it was built as a cantilever biplane to remove the need to rig struts and wires on assembly.[1] The U.1 had two single-step floats and was powered by a front-mounted 55-horsepower (41 kW) Siemens radial piston engine.[1] The pilot had an open cockpit behind the upper wing which gave a clear view forward.[1] It is claimed that during tests, four men could remove the U.1 from the container and erect it in 1 minute 3 seconds.[1] Two aircraft were bought by the United States Navy for evaluation;[1] these were delivered to NAS Anacostia in late 1922, and were tested during 1923; one of the aircraft was lost over the course of the test program.[2]
Operators
Specifications
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 7.20 m (23 ft 7 in)
- Height: 2.30 m (7 ft 7 in)
- Wing area: 14.00 m2 (150.7 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 360 kg (794 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 510 kg (1,124 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Siemens radial piston engine, 41 kW (55 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
- Climb to 1,000m (3,280ft): 6 minutes
See also
- Related lists
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caspar-Werke. |
- Notes
- Bibliography
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
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