Hansa-Brandenburg W.19

infobox Aircraft
name = W.19
type = Fighter-reconnaissance seaplane
manufacturer = Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke


caption =
designer = Ernst Heinkel
first flight =
introduced = 1918
introduction=
retired = 1918
status =
primary user = Germany
more users =
produced =
number built = 55
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Hansa-Brandenburg W.19 was a German fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War. It was a single engined two seater biplane floatplane, and was a larger development of the successful Hansa-Brandenburg W.12. It served with the Imperial German Navy during 1918.

Development and design

Operational experience with the Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 showed that while it was an extremely successful design, showing excellent performance and manoeuvrability, there was a requirement for a floatplane fighter having greater endurance. To meet this requirement, Ernst Heinkel, chief designer of the Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke, designed the W.19. Gray and Thetford 1962, p.72]

The W.19 was of similar layout to the W.12, but considerably larger (i.e. with a 2.6 m (8.5 ft) greater wingspan and a 1 m (3.3 ft) greater length). It was a single engined tractor biplane, with two bay wings. The aircraft was fitted with a similar inverted tailplane to the W.12 in order to give unobstructed fields of fire to the observer, who was seated in a rear cockpit, immediately behind the pilot. In order to compensate for the increased size and weight over the W.12, the W.19 was fitted with a more powerful Maybach Mb.IV engine.

Production aircraft were armed with one or two synchronised LMG 08/15 machine guns firing forward and a single LMG 15 machine gun for the observer. One aircraft was fitted with a 20-mm Becker cannon for tests. Green and Swanborough 1994, p.85.]

Operational history

The W.19 entered service with the German Navy in January 1918, operating from bases at Borkum and Zeebrugge for operations over the North Sea. It was used in support of the smaller W.19 or Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 fighters, often scouting ahead for targets while the smaller aircraft waited on the sea. Combats often occurred between the various Hansa-Brandenburg fighters and large British flying boats such as Felixstowe F.2s and Curtiss Americas.

The W.19 continued in service until the Armistice, 55 being produced. While it had been planned to supplement it with the W.33 monoplane, only a few had been delivered by the time the war ended.

Operators

;flag|German Empire
*"Kaiserliche Marine"

pecifications (W.19)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref="German Aircraft of the First World War" Gray and Thetford 1962, p.74.]
crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 10.65 m
length alt= 34 ft 11⅜ in
span main= 13.8 m
span alt= 45 ft 3⅜ in
height main= 4.10 m
height alt= 13 ft 5½ in
area main= 57.8 m²
area alt= 624 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,435 kg
empty weight alt= 3,157 lb
loaded weight main= 2,005 kg
loaded weight alt= 4,411 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Maybach Mb.IV
type of prop=6 cylinder water cooled inline piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 194 kW
power alt= 260 hp
power original=
max speed main= 150.5 km/h
max speed alt= 94 mph, 82 knots
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 34.7 kg/m²
loading alt= 7.07 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.097 kW/kg
power/mass alt= 0.059 hp/lb
more performance=
*Climb to 1,000 m (3,280 ft): 6.4 minutes
*Endurance: 5 hours

armament=
* 2 × fixed forward 7.92 mm (0.31 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns
* 1 × 7.92 mm (0.31 in) Parabellum MG14 in rear cockpit
avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=
*Hansa-Brandenburg W.12

*Hansa-Brandenburg W.29

*Hansa-Brandenburg W.33

similar aircraft=

lists=
*List of seaplanes and flying boats
*List of military aircraft of Germany

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

*Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962
*Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.