Udet U 5
| U 5 | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Touring aircraft |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Udet Flugzeugbau |
| Designer | Hans Henry Herrmann |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1923 |
| Developed into | Udet U 8 |
The Udet U 5 was a touring aircraft developed in Germany in the early 1920s.[1][2][3] It was found to be underpowered for its intended role, and only a single example was built.[3] However, its design served as the basis for the more successful Udet U 8.[3]
Design
[edit]The U 5 was a parasol-wing, cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration.[4] It had a conventional tail, and fixed, tailskid undercarriage.[4] The pilot sat in an open cockpit, and an enclosed cabin could seat two passengers.[4] Power was provided by a radial engine in the nose, driving a two-bladed propeller.[4]
Construction was wooden throughout.[4] The fuselage was built of moulded plywood in an oval cross-section.[4] The wings had an almost elliptical planform and were mounted to the top of the fuselage on very short struts.[4] Unlike previous Udet designs that had a very angular fin, the U 5 had a fun with a curved leading edge, resembling the fins of Albatros aircraft of World War I.[4]
Development
[edit]Construction of the U 5 was completed in July 1923, and it received the registration D.302.[3] Udet Flugzeugbau hoped to present it at the 1923 aeronautical exhibition in Gothenburg in August, but it was not ready in time.[3]
Apart from the overall lack of power, testing revealed that the aerodynamic fairings fitted to the cylinders of the radial engine made it prone to overheating, and these were removed.[3]
Specifications
[edit]Data from Birchal 2013, p.45
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 pilot
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Length: 7.28 m (23 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 12.0 m (39 ft 4 in)
- Height: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 18 m2 (190 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 470 kg (1,036 lb)
- Gross weight: 800 kg (1,764 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 5 seven-cylinder, radial, air-cooled piston engine, 57 kW (76 hp) (77 PS)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn)
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Bichel, Olaf (2013). Die Flugzeuge der Udet Flugzeugbau GmbH [The aeroplanes of the Udet Flugzeugbau company] (in German). Oberschleißheim: Bayerische Flugzeug-Historiker eV.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. Vol. 13. London: Aerospace Publishing. 1984.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1993). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.