WNF Wn 16
| Wn 16 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental aircraft |
| National origin | Austria |
| Manufacturer | Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke GmbH (WNF) |
| Designer | Erich Meindl |
| First flight | 23 September 1939 |
| Number built | 1 |
TheWNF Wn 16was anAustrianexperimental aircraftbuilt near the start ofWorld War IIto test the properties of the then-newtricycle undercarriagearrangement.
Design
[edit]The WNF Wn 16, originally built as theMeindl-van Nes A.XV (aka Meindl M.15),[1]was an Austrian experimental aircraft built in the late 1930s for tricycle undercarriage research.[2]It was a swept wingtandemtwo-seater, with apusher configurationengine andtwin-boomfuselage.[3] Itscantileverlow winghad straight edges and 18.33° of sweep at quarterchord.The wing was in three parts, with a twinspar,steel tube framed centre section welded to the centralfuselagewhich supported the tailbooms on its upper surfaces at their outer ends. Theribswere also formed from steel tube. The forward part of the centre section wasplywoodcovered, withfabricaft. The outer wing panels were ply covered, each with a single wooden single spar. There was asplit flapover the whole centre sectiontrailing edgeandslotted aileronswhich filled the trailing edges of the outer panels.[2]
The short fuselage was also a welded steel tube structure, alloy skinned front and rear but with a fabric covered central section that contained the tandem seats under a continuous, multi-framedcanopywhich merged into the rear fuselage. The Wn 16's pusher configuration, 37 kW (50 hp)Salmson 9Adnine cylinderradial enginewas installed within aTownend ringcowling at the rear of the fuselage beyond the wing, driving a two bladepropeller.[2][3]The Wn 16 was later re-engined with a 45 kW (60 hp)Walter Mikron.[4][5][6]
The Wn 16's tail-booms were woodenmonocoques.The rectangulartail-planeandelevatorwere on top of them, with oval vertical tails acting as end-plates; the fins had ply covered wooden frames and theruddershad fabric covered steel frames.[2][3]
Its tricycle gear was fixed, all units withbungee cordshock absorbers.Both legs and wheels were enclosed in streamlined fairings. The nosewheel was steerable via therudder pedals.[2]
The Wn 16 flew for the first time on 23 September 1939.[5]Development continued into World War II and the first flight with the Walter engine was on 7 August 1942.[1]
Specifications
[edit]Data fromHeinz J. Navarra (1988)[2]
General characteristics
- Crew:Two
- Length:7.27 m (23 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan:9.84 m (32 ft 3 in)
- Height:1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
- Wing area:13.50 m2(145.3 sq ft)
- Empty weight:350 kg (772 lb)
- Gross weight:550 kg (1,213 lb)
- Fuel capacity:38 L (8.4 imp gal; 10 US gal)
- Powerplant:1 ×Salmson 9Ad9-cylinderradial,37 kW (50 hp)
- Propellers:2-bladed[3]
Performance
- Maximum speed:160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn) at sea level
- Cruise speed:145 km/h (90 mph, 78 kn)
- Range:400 km (250 mi, 220 nmi)
- Service ceiling:2,800 m (9,200 ft) service
- Rate of climb:2.2 m/s (430 ft/min)
- Landing speed:65 km/h (40 mph)
References
[edit]- ^ab"Die Meind-van Nes A XV oder WN 16"(in German).Retrieved10 July2016.
- ^abcdefNowarra, Heinz J. (1988).Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933-1945.Vol. 4. Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. pp. 43–7.ISBN3-7637-5464-4.
- ^abcd"The Meindl Wn16 (figure caption)".Flight.XLI(1728): 49. 15 January 1942.
- ^"Aircraft production in Austria".Retrieved10 July2016.
- ^ab"WNF WN-16"(in Russian).Retrieved10 July2016.
- ^Keimel, Reinhard (2003).Luftfahrzeugbau in Österreich: von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart: Enzyklopädie(in German) (1. Aufl. ed.). Oberhaching: Aviatic-Verl.ISBN978-3925505782.