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weight and performance calculations for the Hansa-Brandenburg W.29
After WW1 the W.29 was in service with the Danish navy.
Hansa-Brandenburg W.29
importance : ***
first flight : 27 March 1918 or January 1918 ? operational : April 1918
country : Germany
design : Ernst Heinkel
production : 78 aircraft
general information :
successful operated on the North sea. Oblt Friedrich Christiansen , the “Jager van
Zeebrugge” succeeded in shooting down several Felixtowe F2A flying boats while flying
the W.29. A prototype was tested with a BMW IIIa engine, with this it could reach a height of 5000m. But priority was given to the land-based fighters for the BMW IIIa engine, and the Benz Bz.III was chosen for the production W.29’s. With this Benz Bz.III engine ceiling was reduced to approx. 3000m.
The first twenty W.29’s had the standard Bz.III, and radio equipment instead of one of the front guns. A second similar batch of twenty may not all have been delivered. The remaining thirty W.29s, with Bz.IIIs, had two front guns and no radio.
The W.29’s operated from seaplane bases at Zeebrugge, Ostend, Borkum and Nordeney.
On 11 August 1918 W.29 seaplanes from Borkum seaplane station succeeded in sinking three British motorboats. They attacked a flotilla of six CMB’s who searched for German mine-sweepers. 3 British boats could reach the Holland coast badly damaged and the surviving and wounded crew were interned by the Dutch authorities.
serials : Kriegsmarine : 2203-2206, 2287-2300, 2501-2506, 2507-2536, 2564-2583, 2584-
2587
users : Germany, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands
crew : 2
armament : 1 synchronized 7.92 [mm] (0.312 in) Spandau LMG 08/15 machine-gun
and 1 movable 7.92 [mm] (0.312 in) Parabellum MG 14 machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 Benz Bz.III liquid-cooled 6 -cylinder inline engine 150 [hp](110.3 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 13.5 [m], length : 9.35 [m], height : 3.0[m]
wing area : 32.2 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 1494 [kg]
empty weight operational : 1000 [kg] bombload : 0 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 178 [km/hr] at sea-level
climbing speed : 168 [m/min]
service ceiling : 3000 [m]
endurance : 4.0 [hours]
estimated action radius : 320 [km]
description :
low-wing monoplane two float no tip floats
two spar wing
engine, fuel and bombload in or attached to fuselage, landing gear attached to the wing
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.64 [ ]
diameter airscrew 2.92 [m]
angle of attack prop : 16.89 [ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1420 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.09 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 223 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 2.39 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 2.98 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 5.66 []
gap : 0.00 [m]
gap/chord : 0.00 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 379 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 2.2 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 33.8 [kg/hr] (46.1 [litre/hr]) at 74 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 4.74 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 209 [litre] (153 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 278.0 [kg] = 2.52 [kg/KW]
weight 15 litre oil tank : 1.8 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.8 litre oil : 0.7 [kg]
oil in engine 6 litre oil : 5.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.6 [kg]
weight 20 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.9 [kg]
weight radiator : 15.8 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 10.9 [kg]
weight cowling 4.4 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 337 [kg](22.5 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 7.93 [cm]): 133 [kg]
bracing : 7.7 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 12.8 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 4.1 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 6.5 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight transceiver : 27 [kg]
weight 190 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 18.2 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 6 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 213 [kg](14.2 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 21 [kg]
total weight ribs (51 ribs) : 89 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 916.1 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 285.7 [N]
total weight 4 spars : 81 [kg]
weight wings : 190 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 5.90 [kg]
weight cables (54 [m]) : 41.7 [kg] (= 772 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 11.2 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (2.6 [m2]) : 16.0 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (3.6 [m2]): 21.6 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 269 [kg] (18.0 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 26.5 [kg]
weight Schneider ring mounting mg :5.5 [kg]
weight ammunition magazine(s) :2.3 [kg]
weight Fokker Zentralsteuerung synchronization gear : 1.0 [kg]
weight armament : 35 [kg]
********************************************************************
weight floats : 125 [kg] (8.4 [%])
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 979 [kg](65.5 [%])
weight oil for 4.8 hours flying : 10.6 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 22.7 [kg]
weight 1 drums empty : 2.3 [kg]
weight ammunition (1000 rounds) : 30.5 [kg]
weight signal pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 1048 [kg] (70.1 [%])
published operational weight empty : 1000 [kg] (66.9 [%])
___o___
"
weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 68 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 1277 [kg](85.5 [%])
estimated bomb load : 50 [kg]
On July 6th, 1918, the British sub marine C25 was surprised on the surface by a formation of Brandenburg’s led by Christiansen. In a short time the submarine's motors had been put out of action, and many of the crew, including the CO., had become casualties. Eventually the C25 was towed into Harwich, leaking 'like a sieve'. The damage was all done by machine-gun fire, for the submarine was old, and the thin plating of its hull was not bullet proof.
operational weight bombing mission : 1327 [kg]
fuel reserve : 86 [kg] enough for 2.54 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 81 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 1494 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 1494 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 11.58 [kg/kW]
total power : 110.3 [kW] at 1420 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.4 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.4 [g]
design flight time : 3.20 [hours]
design cycles : 391 sorties, design hours : 1250 [hours]
operational wing loading : 389 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 198 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.29 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 13.16 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 2.09 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.26 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0052 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0294 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0243 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 86 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 103 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 129 [km/hr] at 1500 [m](power :58 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 136 [km/hr] at 1500 [m] (power:60 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 116.5 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 160 [km/hr] op 1500 [m] (power:74 [%])
design speed prop : 169 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 178 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 139 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 393 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 11.72 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 3825 [m] with flying weight :1110 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 2875 [m] with flying weight :1277 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 1925 [m] with flying weight :1460 [kg]
published ceiling (3000 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 12.77 [min]
max. dive speed : 434.1 [km/hr] at 925 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.46 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 83 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 17.7 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 4.54 [hours] with 2 crew and 131 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 4.00 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 149 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 627 [km] with 2 crew and 20 [kg] photo camera or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 546 [litre] fuel : 1900 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 295 [kg]
production : 47.28 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.76 [kg]
====
28 April 1918 Christiansen leading a flight of seven W.29’s operating from Zeebrugge Mole attacked two F2.A flying boats from Felixtowe, shooting down one in flames.
The Zeebrugge Raid on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the Royal Navy to block the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. The British intended to sink obsolete ships in the canal entrance, to prevent German vessels from leaving port. The port was used by the Imperial German Navy as a base for U-boats and light shipping, which were a threat to Allied control of the English Channel and southern North Sea. Several attempts to close the Flanders ports by bombardment failed and Operation Hush, a 1917 plan to advance up the coast, proved abortive. As sinkings by U-boats increased, finding a way to close the ports became urgent and the Admiralty became more willing to consider a raid.
Literature :
Tussen vleugels van linnen page 39
Jane’s fighting aircraft WWI page 166f
A history of the Luftwaffe page 25
Fighters 1914-19 page 96
German aircraft of the first world war page 75,76,77
Van Farman tot Neptune page 60,61,62
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 09 February 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4