Friedrichshafen FF.48
Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen · German Reich · first flew 1917 · fighter
The Friedrichshafen FF.48 was a two-seat floatplane fighter built to intercept Allied flying boats and patrol aircraft over the North Sea.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-bay staggered biplane floatplane with a large cutout in the upper wing over the pilot
- Pilot's cockpit set ahead of the observer's, unusual ordering for a German seaplane
- Twin widely-spaced floats on V-struts
Identify it by the large semi-circular cutout in the upper wing above the pilot's cockpit, fitted to improve his view forward and up.
Specifications
- The Friedrichshafen FF.48 has a length of 11.2 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.25 m (53 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 153 km/h (95 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed in early 1917 as an enlarged, longer-ranged successor to the FF.33H fighter, the FF.48 first flew on 22 August 1917 with a fixed forward gun for the pilot and a flexible gun for the observer. Three prototypes were built during 1917 but the type lost out to rivals and was not ordered into production.
Variants
No production version followed; only the three prototypes were built.
Where you'll see it
None of the FF.48 prototypes survive today; the type is known only from German Naval Air Service records.
Related aircraft
- Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen FF.49
- Friedrichshafen D.I
- Friedrichshafen G.III
- Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen FF.43
- AEG D.I
- Albatros D.IX
- Albatros D.VII
- Albatros Dr.I
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