Hansa-Brandenburg GDW

GDW
Role	Torpedo bomber
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Hansa-Brandenburg
First flight	1916
Primary user	Imperial German Navy
Number built	1

The Hansa-Brandenburg GDW was a floatplane torpedo bomber built in Germany during World War I for the Imperial German Navy.

Design and development

Although similar to the Hansa-Brandenburg GW, it was larger and used Benz Bz.IV engines. Although a prototype was built in the second half of 1916, the German Navy lost interest in the slow-moving torpedo bomber idea, so the GDW did not enter production on order from German command.

Specifications (GDW)

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 3
Length: 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 24.5 m (80 ft 5 in)
Height: 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 134 m² (1,440 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,936 kg (6,473 lb)
Gross weight: 4,851 kg (10,695 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Benz Bz.IV 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn)
Cruise speed: 105 km/h (65 mph, 57 kn)
Range: 750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)
Service ceiling: 1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 19 minutes 30 seconds

Armament

Guns: 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine guns
Bombs: 1 × 1,825 kg (4,023 lb) torpedo

References

^ Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. p. 310. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.

Bibliography

Owers, Colin A. (2015). Hansa-Brandenburg Aircraft of WWI: Volume 2–Biplane Seaplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 18. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-32-2.
Schmeelke, Michael (2020). "Torpedo Los!": The German Imperial Torpedo-Flieger. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-953201-17-1.

[Gray-1] Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. p. 310. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.

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