DFW Floh

The DFW T.28 Floh (English: Flea) was a small German biplane fighter prototype designed by Hermann Dorner, the designer of the successful Hannover CL.II two-seat fighter of 1917, and built by Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke.[1]

Floh
DFW T.28 Floh cica 1915
Role Biplane fighter aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke
Designer Hermann Dorner
First flight 1915
Number built 1

Designed in 1915 as high-speed fighter, the Floh had a small 6.20 m (20.3 ft) wingspan and a rather ungainly tall and thin fuselage.[1] With a fixed conventional landing gear the Floh was powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Mercedes D.I inline piston engine, and on its first flight in December 1915 reached 180 km/h (110 mph), quite fast for the time.[1]

The aircraft suffered from very poor forward visibility and was difficult to land due to its narrow landing gear.[2] The prototype crashed during the flight testing programme.[1]

View showing poor forward visibility.

Specifications

Data from .[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Wingspan: 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 15 m2 (160 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 420 kg (926 lb)
  • Gross weight: 650 kg (1,433 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.I water-cooled inline piston, 75 kW (100 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)

Armament

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to DFW Floh.

Notes
  1. Orbis 1985, p. 1297
  2. "DFW T28 Floh". flyingmachines.ru. Their Flying Machines. Retrieved 18 July 2015.

Bibliography
  • Herris, Jack (2017). DFW Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 29. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-54-4.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
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