International F-17 Sportsman

F-17 Sportsman
Role	Three-seat biplane
Manufacturer	International Aircraft
First flight	1920s
Number built	20+

The International F-17 Sportsman was a 1920s American three-seat open-cockpit biplane designed and manufactured by the International Aircraft Corporation in Long Beach, California and Cincinnati, Ohio. ^[1] 107 aircraft were built, 77 of them at Cincinnati.

In 1928, a Sportsman won the "On to Dallas" race. ^[2]

Variants

Data from: ^[3]

F-17 Sportsman

powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 water-cooled V-8 or 100–120 hp (75–89 kW) Dayton Bear air-cooled 4-cylinder in-line engine. ^{[4] [5]}

F-17H Sportsman

powered by, 180 hp (130 kW) Wright-Hisso E, Siemens-Halske, Dayton Bear or Curtiss K-6 engines.

F-17H Mailman

A single seat air mail carrier / cargo version of the 17H.

F-17W Sportsman

powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Wright J-5

Operators

United States

• Airads ^[6]
• Anderson Airlines ^[7]
• Cherry-Red Airlines ^[8]
• Crescent Air Services ^[9]
• Galt Union High School ^[10]

Specifications (F-17)

International F-17 3-view drawing from Aero Digest January 1928

Data from , ^[3] Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928 ^[11]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2, 660 lb (300 kg) payload
• Length: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
• Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
• Wing area: 325 sq ft (30.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,300 lb (590 kg) OX-5
  

1,400 lb (640 kg) Hisso E

1,350 lb (610 kg) Whirlwind

• Gross weight: 2,121 lb (962 kg) OX-5
  

2,539 lb (1,152 kg) Hisso E

2,589 lb (1,174 kg) Whirlwind

• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-5 V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
  

150 hp (110 kW) Hisso E V-8

200 hp (150 kW) Wright J-5 Whirlwind 9-cyl radial

• Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 98 mph (158 km/h, 85 kn) OX-5 engine
  

120 mph (100 kn; 190 km/h) Hisso E

150 mph (130 kn; 240 km/h) Whirlwind

• Cruise speed: 82 mph (132 km/h, 71 kn) OX-5 engine
  

105 mph (91 kn; 169 km/h) Hisso E

120 mph (100 kn; 190 km/h) Whirlwind

• Landing speed: 35 mph (30 kn; 56 km/h)
• Range: 325 mi (523 km, 282 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 10,500 ft (3,200 m) OX-5 engine
  

1,200 ft (370 m) Hisso E

16,000 ft (4,900 m) Whirlwind

• Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.0 m/s) OX-5 engine
  

800 ft/min (4.1 m/s) Hisso E

1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s) Whirlwind

• Wing loading: 6.52 lb/sq ft (31.8 kg/m²) OX-5 engine
  

7.8 lb/sq ft (38 kg/m²) Hisso E

7.86 lb/sq ft (38.4 kg/m²) Whirlwind

• Power/mass: 0.0424 hp/lb (0.1 kW/kg) OX-5
  

0.0592 hp/lb (0.1 kW/kg) Hisso E

0.0782 hp/lb (0.1 kW/kg) Whirlwind

References

1. "International F-17". Aero Digest. January 1928. p. 56. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
2. "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. 27 April 1928. p. 34.
3. Eckland, K. O. (13 November 2008). "American Airplanes: I". Aerofiles. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
4. "Lighter Air Motor Approved in Test by Aircraft Firm". Cincinnati Enquirer. 5 August 1928. p. 5. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
5. "To Test Four Cylinder Air Cooled "Dayton Bear" Engine in International F-17 Plane". Aviation. Vol. 24, no. 26. 25 June 1928. p. 1848. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
6. "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. 31 May 1928. p. 17.
7. "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. 14 September 1928. p. 27.
8. Entz, Marion (11 January 1929). "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. p. 9.
9. "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. 14 July 1928. p. 9.
10. "Skylines". Cincinnati Post. 16 May 1928. p. 14.
11. Grey, C.G., ed. (1928). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928. London: Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd. p. 227c.

Further reading

• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aircraft. London: Orbis Publications. p. 2213.