Thulin K

Thulin K
General information
Type	Single- or two-seat fighter
National origin	Sweden
Manufacturer	AB Thulinverken
Designer	Enoch Thulin
Primary user	Royal Netherlands Navy
Number built	17
History
Introduction date	1917
First flight	1917
Retired	1920

The Thulin K was a Swedish naval fighter aircraft in the 1910s. It was operated by both the Swedish and Dutch armed forces.

Development

Dr. Enoch Thulin, of AB Thulinverken, designed the Thulin K in December 1916. It was a shoulder-wing monoplane of wooden construction employing wing warping for lateral control. Powered by a 90 hp Thulin A Gnôme derived rotary engine, it could be configured as a single seat or tandem seat aircraft. ^[1]

Operational history

After initial flights in early 1917, the Swedish Army purchased two of the single seat K versions. However, it was more successful as an export plane; the Royal Netherlands Navy bought twelve K single seaters and three two seaters between 1917 and 1918. Both types were delivered without armament but the Dutch Navy fitted theirs with machine guns firing through the propeller arc and also experimented with 20 mm Madson cannons. ^[1]

The aircraft's performance was good - Thulin himself broke the Swedish altitude record in it in 1919. However, on 14 May 1919 ^[2] Thulin's own Thulin K lost an aileron in a steep dive, crashing and killing him. The rest of the K single seaters were written off in 1920 and the two seaters were withdrawn in 1922.^{[ citation needed ]}

Variants

Thulin K single seater

Single-seat production variant, two built for Flygcompaniet and twelve for the Dutch Navy. ^[1]

Thulin K two seater ^[3]

Two-seat version for the Royal Netherlands Navy, three built. ^[1] Sometimes incorrectly called Thulin KA or K1. ^[3]

Operators

  Sweden

• Swedish Air Force

  Netherlands

Specifications (Thulin K)

Data from Green 1994 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 9.10 m (29 ft 10.25 in)
• Height: 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 14.00 m² (150.7 sq ft)
• Gross weight: 520 kg (1,146 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Thulin A rotary engine (license-made Le Rhône 9C) , 67 kW (90 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn) at sea level
• Service ceiling: 5,485 m (18,000 ft)

Armament

• 1 x synchronised machine gun
• 1 x Madsen machine gun (two seater) ^[3]

References

1. Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 570. ISBN   1-85833-777-1.
2. Taylor, Michael (2001). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London: Jane's Publishing Company. p. 223. ISBN   1-85170-347-0.
3. "Thulin K". aviastar.org. Retrieved 2024-05-26.

External links

• Thulin type K Swedish fighter from 1917