The Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 was a German monoplane fighter floatplane which served in the closing months of World War I, from bases on the North Sea coast.
It was based on the W.12 biplane that it was designed to replace.
The monoplane configuration created less drag, and thus gave greater speed.
The W.33 was a further improvement of the W.29, although the W.33 was built in relatively small numbers, the design was widely recognized as successful and numerous copies and license built versions were built after the Great War.
The Hansa-Brandenburg W.33 aircraft was designed in 1916 by Ernst Heinkel and entered German service in 1918.
26 aircraft were built of this design, but only six before the collapse of the German empire.
Noticeably superior to the FF.33L, it proved to be an excellent aircraft.
The Hansa-Brandenburg monoplanes considerably influenced German seaplane design.
Several copies appeared in 1918, such as the Friedrichshafen FF.63, the Dornier Cs.I, the Junkers J.11, and the L.F.G. Roland ME 8. After the war a version of the W.29 was used by Denmark, while Finland obtained a license for to manufacture of the W.33.
In 1921, Finland obtained the manufacturing license for the W.33.
The first Finnish-built Hansa made its maiden flight on 4 November 1922 and was called IVL A.22 Hansa.
This was the first military aircraft manufactured in Finland.
During the following four years a total of 120 aircraft were manufactured.
The Finnish Air Force used the aircraft in maritime service until 1936.
Variants
W.29
Production aircraft from Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke.
Van Berkel W-B
License production in the Netherlands by Van Berkel’s Patent Company Ltd.
Måke I
Norwegian Army designation for W.29.
Two operated.
Hanza-shiki suijō teisatsuki
Type Hansa Surveillance Floatplane built by Nakajima and Aichi
Orlogsværftet HM.1
License production in Denmark by Orlogsværftet.
Hansa-Brandenburg W.33
26 built.
IVL A.22 Hansa
Finnish license manufactured W.33, 120 built.
Yokosuka Navy Type Hansa Reconnaissance Seaplane.
Approximately 310 aircraft directly derived from the W.33, built by Nakajima and Aichi for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Specifications
Crew
2
Length
11.1 m (36 ft 5 in)
Wingspan
15.85 m (52 ft 0 in)
Height
3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
Wing area
43.5 m2 (468 sq ft)
Empty weight
1,420 kg (3,131 lb)
Gross weight
2,050 kg (4,519 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Maybach Mb.IVa,
6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine,
183 kW (245 hp)
Propellers
2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
Maximum speed
173 km/h (107 mph, 93 kn)
Cruise speed
154 km/h (96 mph, 83 kn)
Time to altitude
1,000 m (3,281 ft) in 5 minutes 24 seconds
2,000 m (6,562 ft) in 12 minutes 48 seconds
3,000 m (9,843 ft) in 22 minutes 18 seconds
Armament
Guns
2 x fixed forward-firing machine guns adjacent to the cockpit and a 20 mm (0.787 in) Becker Type M2 cannon on a gun ring in the rear cockpit.
