Hansa-Brandenburg W.18
# Hansa-Brandenburg W.18

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.18 was a single-seat German fighter flying boat of World War I. It was used by both the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) and the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

## Development and design

The Hansa-Brandenburg W.18 during 1916 for use by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. It was a single engined, single seater flying boat, with a Hiero 6 pusher engine mounted between the wings. It had single-bay wings, with the unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of bracing struts (where four Vee struts joined in the center of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement) shared with the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I, Hansa-Brandenburg CC, and Hansa-Brandenburg KDW.

## Operational history

Austro-Hungary received 47 Hansa Brandenburg W.18 aircraft, from September 1917 to May 1918, using them to provide air-defence for ports and naval bases along the Adriatic sea coast. One Benz-engine example was delivered to the Imperial German Navy.

## Operators

Austria-Hungary

* Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine

German Empire

* Kaiserliche Marine

## Specifications (W.18 - Benz engine)

Data from

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Length: 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in)
* Wingspan: 10.70 m (35 ft 1 in)
* Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
* Wing area: 34.38 $m^2$ (370.1 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 875 kg (1,929 lb)
* Gross weight: 1,145 kg (2,524 lb)
* Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.III 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 110 kW (150 hp)
* Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed pitch propeller

Performance

* Maximum speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
* Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 5 minutes; 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 23 minutes

Armament

* Guns: 1 or 2 × 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns
