Friedrichshafen FF.33

FF.33
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH
Maiden flight	1914
Introduced	1914
Primary user	Kaiserliche Marine
Number built	FF.33E: 180 FF.33L: 135

Friedrichshafen FF.33 was a German single-engined amphibious reconnaissance biplane designed by Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen in 1914.

Versions

FF.33

Initial production version powered by a Mercedes D.II engine, six built

FF.33b

FF.33 with pilot and observers postions reversed, additional obervers-operated machine-gun and powered by 160 hp (119 kW) Maybach inline piston engine, five built.

FF.33e

Main production reconnaissance variant powered by a Benz B.III inline engine, longer twin floats, under tail central float removed, and radio transmitter instead of armament, about 180 built.

FF.33f

Scout/Fighter version based on FF.33e with reduced span wings and reduced length but fitted with a machine-gun on a pivoted mount, five built.

FF.33h

FF.33f with aerodynamic refinements, and duplication of wing-bay bracing cables as a safeguard if the observer has to fire his machine-gun forward through the wings, about 50 built.

FF.33j

FF.33e with aerodynamic refinements and the provision of a radio transmitter and receiver.

FF.33l

Main production scout/fighter version, with further aerodynamic improvements, about 130 built

FF.33s

dual-control trainer version

FF.39

Refined version of the FF.33e with a 200 hp (149 kw) Benz Bz.IV engine, 14 built.

FF.49c

Further improved FF.39 with strengthened structures, balanced controls, a radio receiver and transmitter, machine-gun for observer, over 200 built.

FF.49b

Bomber variant of the FF.49c, crew positions reversed, deletion of observers machine-gun and provision to carry a light bombload, 15 built.

FF.59a

Development aircraft based on FF.39 with different tail, one built.

FF.59b

Development aircraft based on FF.39 with different tail, one built.

FF.59c

FF.39 with modified tail unit, wing interplane struts moved outwards and inner-bay bracing wires removed.

C.I

A landplane version of the FF.33l with wheeled landing gear, one built.

Operators

• Template:Country data Bulgaria
• Template:DNK
• Template:FIN: Finnish Air Force purchased two FF.33Es from Germany in February 1918. The first one arrived on April 20, 1918 to Vaasa and the other one in the summer of 1918. The aircraft wore the German designation numbers 1999 and 1998, which were changed into the FAF designation numbers F16 and F24 (later S58/18 and S73/18). Another FF.33E was purchased from the Germans in Estonia on November 26, 1918. The type was in FAF service between 1918-1923.
• Template:Country data German Empire
• Template:NLD
• Template:POL (post-war)
• Template:SWE

Specifications (FF.33E)

Data from Thulinista Hornetiin

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 10.22 m (33 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 16.60 m (54 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,550 kg (3,412 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Benz Bz.III inline engine, 112 kW (150 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 110 km/h (60 knots, 68 mph)
• Endurance: 4-5 hours

Armament

8 × 12 kg (26.4 lb) bombs

References

• Friedrichshafen FF.33s history
• Timo Heinonen (1992). Thulinista Hornetiin - 75 vuotta Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneita. Tikkakoski: Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo. ISBN 9519568824. 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Friedrichshafen FF.33".