Sablatnig SF-1
| SF-1 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Reconnaissance seaplane |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Sablatnig |
| Designer | Josef Sablatnig |
| First flight | 1915 |
| Primary user | Imperial German Navy |
| Number built | 1 |
The Sablatnig SF-1 was a reconnaissance seaplane built in Germany during the First World War.[1]
Development
[edit]It was a conventional two-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span and a fuselage of particularly sleek design.[2] The pilot and observer sat in open cockpits in tandem, and the undercarriage consisted of twin pontoons braced to the underside of the fuselage and to wings.[2]
Operational history
[edit]Sablatnig delivered the SF-1 prototype to the SVK (Seeflugzeug Versuchs Kommando – "Seaplane Testing Command") in October 1915 under the naval serial number 490.[2] It was finally accepted into active naval service a full two years later, in October 1917.[3] Although accepted for service with the Imperial German Navy, only the prototype was built, and no production order was forthcoming.[2][3]
Operators
[edit]
- Imperial German Navy Air Service
- SVK (Seeflugzeug Versuchs Kommando – "Seaplane Testing Command")
Specifications
[edit]Data from Kroschel & Stützer 1994, p.135
General characteristics
- Crew: Two, pilot and observer
- Wingspan: 19.10 m (62 ft 8 in)
- Height: 4.35 m (14 ft 3 in)
- Empty weight: 1,015 kg (2,233 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,650 kg (3,630 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III , 120 kW (160 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 125 km/h (78 mph, 68 kn)
- Rate of climb: 1.7 m/s (328 ft/min)
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1962). German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam.
- Herris, Jack (2015). German Seaplanes of WWI: Sablatnig, Kaiserliche Werften, Lübeck-Travemünde, LTG, & Oertz: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Seaplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 15. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-27-8.
- Kroschel, Günter; Helmut Stützer (1994). Die Deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910–1918. Herford: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn.
- Nowarra, Heinz J. (1966). Marine Aircraft of the 1914–1918 War. Letchworth, Harts: Harleyford Publications.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.