| A 17Möwe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Focke-Wulf |
| Primary user | Deutsche Luft Hansa |
| Number built | 20 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1927 |
TheFocke-Wulf A 17Möwe (German: "Gull") was anairliner designed and produced by theGerman aircraft manufacturerFocke-Wulf. It was the company's first large commercial aircraft.
It was developed in the late 1920s with the goal of producing a competitive civil aircraft that possessed a minimal production cost and a high load-carrying capability. The resulting aircraft was a conventional high-wingcantilevermonoplane with a fixedtailwheel undercarriage. It provided fully enclosed seating for up to eight passengers in relatively luxurious conditions for the era as well as a fully enclosedcockpit for the two pilots. The exterior of thesteel tube airframe wasstreamlined and was covered withfabric, except for the wings, which wereplywood instead.
The A 17 performed itsmaiden flight in 1927, and entered revenue service several months thereafter. It was only ever produced in limited quantities, the primary customer of the type being the German airlineDeutsche Luft Hansa. Several aircraft were also used for experimental purposes and as trials aircraft, such as for theJunkers Jumo 5diesel engine. Operation of all A 17s was discontinued during the latter part of the 1930s.
The project that would produce the A 17 was a novel undertaking for the German aircraft manufacturerFocke-Wulf, being the company's first large commercial aircraft.[1] Nevertheless, the design team held to several established principles for the project, specifically the pursuit of low manufacturing costs and a comparatively generous load-carrying capacity. The resulting aircraft would be economic and available for purchase by 1926 at a competitively low price tag.[1] The efficient model that this combination delivered was thought to have made the A 17 an attractive prospect to potential operators.[1]
The A 17 Möwe was a high-wingcantilevermonoplane.[2] It was powered by a single nose-mounted engine.[2] It could easily be removed for maintenance or replacement purposes by simply undoing four bolts that secured the engine bearer to the four primarylongerons. Safety measures including afirewall andfire extinguisher that could be remotely operated from the cockpit.[2]
The exterior of the aircraft wasstreamlined, yielding both aerodynamic efficiency and a pleasing aesthetic. Extensive use of steel tube framework was used in the structure of the airframe while the exterior of the fuselage was covered withfabric.[3] The wing, however, was covered withplywood. Theleading edge of the wing contained a series ofrubber cables that providedshock absorption to theundercarriage, the twin pairs of steel-tubingstruts of the undercarriage having been braced by vertical struts that were connected to the wing.[3]
It had a relatively spacious cockpit that was designed to accommodate a pair of pilots.[2] Access to the cockpit was via a door in the forward wall of the passenger cabin. The cockpit was enclosed by awindshield; the pilots had favourable visibility, both forward and laterally.[2] Dual flight controls were fitted as standard, although the principal pilot had the ability to disconnect them if so desired. Both theelevator andailerons were operated via hand wheels while therudder was controlled by a rudder bar.[2] The stabilizer could betrimmed mid-flight to account for any centre-of-gravity changes via a hand wheel on the left hand wall of the cockpit. Typical instrumentation for the era was present. The cockpit also had a compressed-air starter that was used to ignite the engine.[2]
The passenger cabin, which was elegantly furnished for the time, was located aft of the cockpit.[2] Entry was relatively easy from ground level. In a typical configuration, the cabin would contain eight comfortable chairs.[2] The walls of the cabin featured relatively large windows for lighting purposes; these windows could be let down and provide passengers with an unobstructed view. Beneath the passenger cabin was a baggage hold; forward of this hold and underneath the cockpit was a room intended for storingair mail.[2]
The test flight programme was performed atAdlershof.[4] The majority of aircraft flew with the national airlineDeutsche Luft Hansa; it operated the type through to sometime in 1936.[citation needed]
In its later life, individual aircraft were often used for experimental and flight test purposes. In the early 1930s, two A 17s were used for testing theJunkers Jumo 5diesel engine. In 1929, an example was built with aBMW VI engine and fitted out foraerial photography and survey work and designatedA 21; thecabin of this aircraft was equipped with adarkroom.[citation needed] Later the same year, the BMW engine was used on a further five airliners for Luft Hansa, these being designatedA 29.[citation needed]
Data fromEuropean Transport Aircraft since 1910,[5]National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics[9]
General characteristics
Performance
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