Friedrichshafen FF.31

FF.31
Role	Two-seat coastal patrol floatplane
Manufacturer	Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen
First flight	1910s
Introduction	1915
Primary user	German Imperial Navy
Number built	2

The Friedrichshafen FF.31 was a German lightweight two-seat floatplane of the 1910s produced by Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen.

Development and design[]

The FF.31 was a biplane floatplane with a central nacelle and two open cockpits. The engine was mounted at the rear of the nacelle, driving with a pusher propeller. The twin open-frame tail booms extended aft from the wings to carry the tail unit. A version of the FF.31 with a fixed tailskid landing gear was designated the FF.37.

Operational history[]

FF.31s took part in a Sea battle where the German Imperial Navy was defeated, in May 1915.

Variants[]

FF.31: Production floatplane
FF.37: FF.31 with fixed tailskid landing gear.

Operators[]

German Empire

German Imperial Navy

Specifications (FF.31)[]

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 10.15 m (33 ft 4 in)
Upper wingspan: 16.85 m (55 ft 3 in)
Lower wingspan: 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in)
Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 60 m² (650 sq ft)
Empty weight: 1,063 kg (2,344 lb)
Gross weight: 1,535 kg (3,384 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed pusher propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 98 km/h (61 mph, 53 kn)
Range: 500 km (310 mi, 270 nmi)
Rate of climb: 0.9 m/s (180 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 500 m (1,600 ft) in 9 minutes 30 seconds ; 800 m (2,600 ft) in 16 minutes

Armament

Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun for observer

References[]

^ Kober, Theodor von; Borzutzki, Siegfried. Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH : Diplom-Ingenieur Theodor Kober (in German) (1. Aufl ed.). Burbach. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-3927513600.