Friedrichshafen FF.44

FF.44
General information
Type	Two-seat coastal patrol floatplane
Manufacturer	Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen
Primary user	Imperial German Navy
Number built	1
History
First flight	1917
Developed from	Friedrichshafen FF.34

The FF.44 was an extensively modified FF.34 with conventional fuselage and tail unit and tractor engine.

Specifications (FF.44)

Data from Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 10.85 m (35 ft 7 in)
• Upper wingspan: 18.4 m (60 ft 4 in)
• Lower wingspan: 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
• Height: 4.25 m (13 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 68.5 m² (737 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,552 kg (3,422 lb)
• Gross weight: 2,305 kg (5,082 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Maybach Mb.IV 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 180 kW (240 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch tractor propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 145 km/h (90 mph, 78 kn)
• Range: 600 km (370 mi, 320 nmi)
• Time to altitude:
  

500 m (1,600 ft) in 6 minutes 48 seconds

1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 8 minutes 54 seconds

2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 22 minutes 6 seconds

Armament

• Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun for observer

References

1. Borzutzki, p. 138

Bibliography

• Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen (1987) [1970]. German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN   0-85177-809-7.
• Herris, Jack (2016). Friedrichshafen Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 21. Charleston, South Carolina: Aeronaut Books. ISBN   978-1-935881-35-3.
• Nowarra, Heinz J.; Robertson, Bruce & Cooksley, Peter G. (1966). Marine Aircraft of the 1914–1918 War. Letchworth, UK: Harleyford Publications. OCLC   123198808.