Rumpler 6B

Infobox Aircraft
name=Rumpler 6B


caption=
type=Floatplane fighter
manufacturer=Rumpler Flugzeugwerke
designer=
first flight=1916
introduced=1916
retired=1920s
status=
primary user=German Air Force
more users=Finnish Air Force
produced=1916 - 1918
number built=88
unit cost=
developed from=Rumpler C.I
variants with their own articles=

Rumpler 6B was a German single-engine floatplane fighter with biplane wing structure, designed and built by Rumpler Flugzeugwerke, in Berlin Johannisthal and introduced in 1916.

Design and development

Born out of requirement of the Imperial Navy for a seaplane fighter, the Rumpler 6B, was, like its contemporaries
Albatros W.4 and Hansa-Brandenburg W.9, an adaptation of an existing landplane design. In Rumpler's case the new floatplane fighter was based on company's 2-seat C.I reconnaissance aircraft. The modifications included adding forward stagger to wings, removal of the second (observer's) cockpit and fitting a larger rudder to offset the increased side area caused by the addition of floats. In the production aircraft the area of horizontal tail surfaces was also slightly reduced. The armament consisted of a synchronised fixed forward-firing Spandau machine gun mounted on port side of the engine block.

The initial version of the fighter was the 6B-1. A total of 39 of these were produced, with all but one of the number having been delivered by the end of May 1917. A new version of the basic design, the 6B-2, was introduced in October 1917. These aircraft retained the Mercedes D.III engine, but otherwise they were based on the Rumpler C.IV, with larger dimensions and more rounded horizontal tail surfaces. In spite of decrease in performance, 49 of this type were delivered between October 1917 and January 1918, during which time the remaining 6B-1 also left the factory.

The Rumpler 6Bs were mostly employed at German seaplane bases at Ostend and Zeebrugge. Some were also sent to Black Sea area to fight the Russians.

Use in Finland

In February 1918 the Finnish "White" army ordered one Rumpler and seven other aircraft from Germany. The aircraft was destroyed in an accident in 1918. Another Rumpler aircraft was bought from the Germans in Tallinn in 1918 and it was used for 7 years.

Museum aircraft

Hallinportti Aviation Museum has one Rumpler in storage.

Operators

*
*

pecifications (6B-1)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919

crew=One, pilot
capacity=
length main=9.40 m
length alt=30 ft 10 in
span main=12.05 m
span alt=39 ft 6 in
height main= m
height alt= ft in
area main=36.00 m²
area alt=387.5 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= kg
empty weight alt= lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main= kg
useful load alt= kg
max takeoff weight main=1,140 kg
max takeoff weight alt=2,513 lb
more general=

engine (prop)=Mercedes D.III
type of prop= 6-cylinder, liquid cooled inline engine
number of props=1
power main=120 kW
power alt=160 hp
power original=

max speed main=153 km/h
max speed alt= 83 knots, 95 mph
cruise speed main= km/h
cruise speed alt= knots, mph
stall speed main= km/h
stall speed alt= knots, mph
never exceed speed main= km/h
never exceed speed alt= knots, mph
range main= 4 hours
range alt= of flying time
ceiling main= 5,000m
ceiling alt= 16,404ft
climb rate main= m/min
climb rate alt=
loading main= kg/m²
loading alt= lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=W/kg
power/mass alt=hp/lb
more performance=
armament=* 1 × fixed forward-firing 7.92 mm LMG08/15 with an interruptor gear
avionics=

ources

* Munson, Kenneth - Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919 ISBN 0 7537 0916 3
* Keskinen, Kalevi; Partonen, Kyösti and Stenman, Kari: "Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27", 2005. ISBN 952-99432-2-9.
* Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus: "Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneet 1918-1939", Tietoteos, 1976.

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=Albatros W.4 - Hansa-Brandenburg KDW

sequence=

lists=
* List of fighter aircraft
* List of military aircraft of Germany
* List of aircraft of the Finnish Air Force
see also=