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Friedrichshafen FF29
role : light maritime two-seat patrol aircraft, ASW
first flight : operational : November 1914
country : Germany
design :
production : 30 aircraft
general information :
The FF29 carried out the first air-raid on British soil 0n 24 December 1914. The pilot First Lieutenant Von Prondzynsk threw several bombs on Dover.
The bomb appears to have been a single hand-held 22lb bomb, dropped by hand from 5000 feet and probably aimed at Dover Castle from a FF29 Friedrichshafen floatplane of the German Naval Air Service. It fell 400 yards from the Castle and created a crater ten feet wide in the gardens.
“Shortly before 11 o’clock on December 24th [1914] an aeroplane was seen flying down the valley and it dropped a bomb which burst in the kitchen garden of Mr T.A.Terson at the end of Leyburne Road [Dover]. The bomb was probably meant for the Castle and where it burst it did no damage beyond breaking adjoining windows and throwing a gardener named Banks, who was working at St. James’ Rectory, out of a tree to the ground, slightly injuring him.
The Journalist, 1914
This intriguing story of a “gardener named Banks” makes him Britain’s first air raid casualty, but thankfully one who survived.
users : Germany
crew : 2
armament : no fixed armament
engine : 1 Mercedes D.II liquid-cooled 6 -cylinder inline engine 120 [hp](88.3 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 16.3 [m], length : 10.4 [m], height : 3.7[m]
wing area : 57.5 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 1400 [kg]
empty weight operational (estimation): 925.0 [kg] bombload : 30 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] at sea-level
service ceiling : unknown
estimated action radius : 325 [km]
description :
3-bay two float biplane no tip floats
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.62 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.60 [m]
angle of attack prop : 13.46 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1250 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.47 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 173 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.76 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.91 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 9.24 []
estimated gap : 1.80 [m]
gap/chord : 1.02 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 627 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 2.0 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 29.2 [kg/hr] (39.8 [litre/hr]) at 79 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 3.39 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 297 [litre] (217 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 204.0 [kg] = 2.31 [kg/KW]
weight 20 litre oil tank : 1.7 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.7 litre oil : 0.6 [kg]
Is this a FF29?
oil in engine 5 litre oil : 4.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.4 [kg]
weight 17 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.5 [kg]
weight radiator : 12.6 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 11.4 [kg]
weight cowling 3.5 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 19.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 259 [kg](18.5 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 7.71 [cm]): 139 [kg]
bracing : 9.0 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 15.8 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 5.1 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 7.1 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 2.1 [kg]
weight 280 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 22.4 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 4 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 200 [kg](14.3 [%])
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This is probably a FF19, Interned by the Dutch government and used by the MLD. It has a different tail plane.
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 37 [kg]
total weight ribs (65 ribs) : 83 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 727.0 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 224.7 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 111 [kg]
weight wings : 231 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.01 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 37.2 [kg]
weight cables (105 [m]) : 18.3 [kg] (= 174 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 5.3 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (3.9 [m2]) : 16.0 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (6.5 [m2]): 26.4 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 329 [kg] (23.5 [%])
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weight armament : 0 [kg]
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weight floats : 116 [kg] (8.3 [%])
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calculated empty weight : 903 [kg](64.5 [%])
weight oil for 7.9 hours flying : 16.0 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 19.1 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 938 [kg] (67.0 [%])
estimated operational weight empty : 925 [kg] (66.1 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 58 [kg]
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operational weight : 1159 [kg](82.8 [%])
bomb load : 30 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 1189 [kg]
fuel reserve : 159 [kg] enough for 5.45 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 52 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 1400 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 1400 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 13.13 [kg/kW]
total power : 88.3 [kW] at 1250 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.9 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.5 [g] ultimate load : 5.2 [g] load factor : 2.4 [g]
design flight time : 4.60 [hours]
design cycles : 381 sorties, design hours : 1750 [hours]
operational wing loading : 198 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 148 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.13 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.71 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 2.81 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.35 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0075 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0545 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0471 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 61 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 73 [km/hr]
min.drag speed (max endurance) : 72 [km/hr] at 1000 [m](power :49 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 83 [km/hr] at 1000 [m] (power:55 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 69.7 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 99 [km/hr] op 1000 [m] (power:73 [%])
design speed prop : 104 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 110 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 134 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 190 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.31 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4025 [m] with flying weight :1034 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3300 [m] with flying weight :1159 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2175 [m] with flying weight :1371 [kg]
published ceiling (0 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 12.92 [min]
max.dive speed : 279.1 [km/hr] at 1175 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 1.72 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 37 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.4 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 7.45 [hours] with 2 crew and 82 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 100.0 [%] fuel
published endurance : 6.57 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 108 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 475 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 519 [litre] fuel : 1292 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 233 [kg]
production : 23.10 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 1.35 [kg]
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Notes : The FF19 purchasing the Cuxhaven attackers, 25 Dec 1914, stayed in the air for 5 hours and 52 minutes . With MTOW 1400 kg and empty weight 928 kg this is possible
Literature :
Bombers 1914-19 page 170
German aircraft of the first world war page117
Van Farman tot Nepune page 26
Warplanes WOI page 45
They fought for the sky page 65
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.
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(c) B van der Zalm 04 January 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4