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Hansa-Brandenburg W.12

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W.12
W 12 43641782.jpg
Right-forward oblique view of a W.12 in flight
General information
TypeFloatplane fighter
Manufacturer Hansa-Brandenburg
Designer
Primary users Kaiserliche Marine
Number built181
History
First flightEarly 1917

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 was a biplane fighter floatplane built by the Hansa-Brandenburg Aircraft Company (Hansa Brandenburgische Flugzeugwerke) for the Imperial German Navy's (Kaiserliche Marine) Naval Air Service (Marine-Fliegerabteilung) during World War I. Six prototypes were ordered in 1916 and deliveries began the following year. The W.12s served on the Western Front, based at the naval air bases in Occupied Belgium and along the German Bight. The aircraft was successful, and one shot down the British airship C.27.

Contents

In 1919 the government of the Netherlands bought a licence to build the aircraft. 35 W.12s were subsequently manufactured by the Van Berkel company of Rotterdam as the W-A, serving with the Dutch Naval Aviation Service until 1934.

Design and development

The W.12 was designed by the company's chief designer, Ernst Heinkel, as a two-seat biplane fighter floatplane to protect the Naval Air Service's air bases. [1] Aviation historian Peter M. Grosz states that Heinkel may have been influenced by design work done in Austria-Hungary by companies that shared an owner with Hansa-Brandenburg, Camillo Castiglioni. [2]

Operational history

Oberleutnant Friedrich Christiansen shot down the non-rigid airship C.27 on 11 December 1917 for his fourth aerial victory. [3]

Dutch service

After suffering an engine failure, a W.12 made an emergency landing south of Rottum Island in the Netherlands on 22 April 1918 and it was recovered by the Royal Netherlands Navy. After repairs it was flight tested by the head of the Naval Aviation Service, Luitenant ter zee der 1ste klasse D. Vreede who was impressed with its performance. It was purchased from the Imperial German Navy and became the pattern aircraft for the Van Berkel W-A after the Naval Aviation Service purchased a license for the W.12. It placed an order for 35 W-A floatplanes with industrialist Wilhelmus van Berkel on 15 November 1918 even though van Berkel lacked any experience with building aircraft. The Dutch initially planned on using 200- metric-horsepower (147  kW ) Hispano engines, also built by van Berkel, but they were poorly manufactured and had to be replaced by used 180- metric-horsepower (132  kW ) Mercedes D.IIIaü engines purchased in Germany. The last of the W-As were withdrawn from service in 1934. [4]

Variants

Operators

Specifications (W.12)

Official Baubeschreibung drawing of the W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 dwg.jpg
Official Baubeschreibung drawing of the W.12

Data from Hansa-Brandenburg Aircraft of WWI: Volume 2–Biplane Seaplanes; [9] German Aircraft of the First World War [10]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

References

  1. ↑ Owers, p. 170
  2. ↑ Grosz, p. 1
  3. ↑ Schmeelke, p. 165
  4. ↑ Owers, pp. 202–204
  5. ↑ Owers, p. 173
  6. ↑ Owers, p. 203
  7. ↑ Green & Swanborough, p. 84
  8. ↑ Owers, p. 204
  9. ↑ Owers, pp. 170–171
  10. ↑ Gray & Thetford, pp. 70–71

Bibliography

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