Hansa-Brandenburg B.I
The Hansa-Brandenburg B.I was an unarmed military trainer and reconnaissance biplane of World War I, flown by the Austro-Hungarian Air Service. Early models were known internally to the Hansa-Brandenburg firm as the type D, while later models with a more powerful engine were designated FD. This aircraft was one of the earliest designs of Ernst Heinkel, who was working for Hansa-Brandenburg at the time. It was an entirely conventional two-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in a long open cockpit.
B.I | |
---|---|
Role | Reconnaissance aircraft |
National origin | Germany |
Manufacturer | Hansa-Brandenburg |
Designer | Ernst Heinkel |
First flight | 1914 |
Primary user | KuKLFT |
The aircraft was produced under license by Aero, both during the war and afterwards (when it became known as the Aero Ae 01), and also by Letov, as the Š10.[1] Experience gained with this design would provide Aero with the basis for a number of derivative civil and military designs throughout the 1920s.
The design formed the basis for the C.I and C.II armed reconnaissance types.
Variants
both variants shared the military designation B.I
- D - initial version with Benz Bz.II engine
- FD - later version with Benz Bz.III engine
Operators
- Polish Air Force (postwar, 15 aircraft[1])
- Czechoslovak Air Force (postwar)
- Yugoslav Royal Air Force (postwar)
- Letalski center Maribor (postwar)
Survivors
Only a single Hansa-Brandenburg B.I has survived World War One, it is located in the Budapest Aviation Museum in Hungary.
Specifications (FD)
Data from
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 8.46 m (27 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 13.13 m (43 ft 1 in)
- Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 43.5 m2 (468 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 760 kg (1,676 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,060 kg (2,337 lb)
- Powerplant: × Benz Bz.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 67 kn)
- Range: 300 km (190 mi, 160 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 3,200 m (10,500 ft)
- Rate of climb: 2.2 m/s (430 ft/min)
References
- Krzysztof Chołoniewski, Wiesław Bączkowski (in Polish), Samoloty wojskowe obcych konstrukcji 1918-1939 [Military aircraft of foreign designs 1918-1939]. Warsaw, WKiŁ, 1987. ISBN 83-206-0566-0, p. 7
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 471.
- Janić, Čedomir; Petrović, O. (2011). Short History of Aviation in Serbia. Beograd: Aerokomunikacije. ISBN 978-86-913973-2-6.