Fieseler Fi 97

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=Fieseler Fi 97


caption=
type=Touring aircraft
manufacturer=Fieseler
designer=
first flight=1934
introduced=1934
retired=
status=
primary user=Germany
more users=
produced=1934
number built=5
variants with their own articles=The Fieseler Fi 97 was a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring and competition monoplane aircraft designed and built by the German manufacturer Fieseler.

Design and development

Following the success of their two-seat tourer/trainer the Fieseler F5, Fieseler were encouraged by the German Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) to develop a four-seat version specially to take part in the European touring plane championship Challenge 1934.

The result of this request was the Fi 97, designed by Kurt Arnolt. It was a mixed-construction low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit. The fuselage had a fabric-covered steel tubing frame. The wing structure was wood and was covered with fabric and plywood. The wings were able to be folded aft for storage or ground transport. The tailskid undercarriage was fixed. The pilot and three passengers had an enclosed cabin.

Five examples of the Fi 97 were built. Three aircraft were fitted with the Hirth HM8U, 250 hp inverted V8 engine, and two used the Argus As 17A, 225 hp inverted 6 cylinder inline engine. Both engines are air-cooled.

The plane had STOL capabilities and the most significant design aspect was the wing's high-lift devices to enable the aircraft to be flown at low speeds. The leading-edge had Handley Page type automatic slats over more than half of the span. The trailing edge had Fieseler-designed "Ausrollflugel", a Fowler-type trailing-edge flap. The trailing-edge flap increased the wing area by nearly 20%. These high-lift features allowed the aircraft to be controlled down to 58 km/h (36 mph). These features were later utilized in construction of the famous Fieseler Fi 156 Storch.

Operational history

Five Fi 97s took part in the Challenge 1934 touring plane championship in August-September, and Hans Seidemann took third place in an Argus-powered Fi 97, bested only by two Polish RWD-9s. A significant achievement was that all the Fieselers completed the contest (places: 3, 9, 12, 13, 16), especially comparing to other German aircraft. Among pilots was also Wolf Hirth. Among others, they scored 1st and 3rd results in a short landing trial (best result - 75 m, from over 8 m-high gate) and very good results in a short take-off (78.3 m over 8 m-high gate) and minimal speed trial (58.49 km/h).

pecifications

aerospecs
ref=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1812/3

met or eng?= met

crew=1
capacity=3 passengers
length m=8.04
length ft=26
length in=4½
span m=10.70
span ft=35
span in=1¼
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
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dia m=
dia ft=
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width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=2.36
height ft=7
height in=9
wing area sqm=15.30
wing area sqft=164.69
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=560
empty weight lb=1235
gross weight kg=1050
gross weight lb=2315
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Argus As 17A 6-cylinder inverted inline piston engine
eng1 kw= 168
eng1 hp= 225
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
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max speed kmh=245
max speed mph=152
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=1200
range miles=746
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=7300
ceiling ft=23,950
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aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
*Messerschmitt Bf 108
*Klemm Kl 36
*PZL.26
*Aero A.200
*Caproni PS.1
*Percival Vega Gull

sequence=
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References

*
* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1812/3
* [http://www.luftarchiv.de Luftarchiv]

External links

* [http://www.elgrancapitan.org/portal/aviaci-n/fieseler-fi-97.html Photos and drawings]