Friedrichshafen FF.1

Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen · Germany · first flew 1912 · light aircraft

The Friedrichshafen FF.1 was a German experimental floatplane built in 1912. It was the first aircraft designed and built by the newly established Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Argus engine in pusher configuration at the rear of the fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Two-seat floatplane biplane with a central float
Argus engine in pusher configuration at the rear of the fuselage
Engine radiators mounted on the sides of the fuselage

It is a two-seat biplane floatplane with a 100 PS Argus As I engine in pusher configuration at the rear of the fuselage. The ailerons sit between the wings and radiators are mounted on the fuselage sides.

Specifications

The Friedrichshafen FF.1 has a length of 11.15 m (37 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14 m (46 ft).
Its maximum speed is 85 km/h (53 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Theodor Kober designed the FF.1 with a float of his own design after buying a Curtiss A-2 floatplane to test hydrodynamics. It first flew on 2 November 1912, and towed testing of float shapes continued into January 1913.

Variants

Only one prototype was constructed. Its wing spans were later extended from the original 14 m and 10 m to 16.8 m and 14 m.

Where you'll see it

On 14 February 1913 the FF.1 set a German national flight endurance record of 2 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds. It crashed in February 1914 and was destroyed.

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