Albatros L 72

Last updated
L 72
Albatros L72 front NACA Aircraft Circular No.8.png
RoleCargo aircraft
Manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Designer Gustav Lachmann
First flight1926
Number built4

The Albatros L 72 was a German transport aircraft of the 1920s, designed to carry newspapers between German cities for Ullstein-Verlag. A single revised example was built for the Hamburger Fremdenblatt.

Germany Federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe, lying between the Baltic and North Seas to the north, and the Alps to the south. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France to the southwest, and Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.

Newspaper scheduled publication containing news of events, articles, features, editorials, and advertising

A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.

Contents

Design and development

The L 72 was a single-engine biplane of conventional configuration with unstaggered wings of equal span. It was the first German commercial aircraft to incorporate leading edge slots and trailing edge flaps. The upper and lower wings were interchangeable. They were of all metal construction with fabric covering. The thickened centre section of the upper wing contained the fuel tanks. The upper wing was carried on a tubular cabane and one set of 'N' formation interplane struts was provided with stream-lined wire bracing. The fuselage was built of welded steel tubing with diagonal wire bracing and was fabric covered. Aft of the pilot's cockpit was a cabin containing a conveyor-like device which could accept up to sixteen parcels of newspapers weighing 10 kg (22 lb) each. These could then be dropped, either by an attendant travelling in the cabin or by the pilot, an indicator in the cockpit indicating how many parcels had been dropped. A novel feature of the tail was the rudder and fin which were both pivoted in such a way that when the rudder was turned the fin also turned around a vertical axis thus providing a more powerful rudder control for a smaller angular movement [1]

Biplane airplane wing configuration with two vertically stacked main flying surfaces

A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage over a monoplane, it produces more drag than a similar unbraced or cantilever monoplane wing. Improved structural techniques, better materials and the quest for greater speed made the biplane configuration obsolete for most purposes by the late 1930s.

Variants

Specifications (L.72a)

Albatros L 72 3-view drawing from Les Ailes May 6, 1926 Albatros L 72 3-view Les Ailes May 6, 1926.png
Albatros L 72 3-view drawing from Les Ailes May 6, 1926

Data from Flight, 15 April 1926, p.231

General characteristics

BMW IV aircraft engine family by BMW

The BMW IV was a six-cylinder, water-cooled inline aircraft engine built in Germany in the 1920s. Power was in the 180 kW (250 hp) range. The IV was also produced under license by Junkers as the L2.

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 160 km/h (99 mph; 86 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 170 km/h (106 mph; 92 kn)
  • Endurance: 4.5 hr
  • Landing speeds: 100 knm/h (62 mph) with slots closed, 75 km/h (47 mph) open

See also

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References

  1. Flight April 15th 1926 p.228-231