Sablatnig SF 7

Sablatnig · Germany · first flew 1917 · fighter

The Sablatnig SF 7 was a German two-seat floatplane fighter of the First World War.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, straight
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageSpace between fuselage and inner struts left clear for the gunner's field of fire
T — TailCruciform

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

Spot it by:

A floatplane biplane with ailerons on both wings and a cruciform tail.

Specifications

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

History

In 1917 the Navy asked Hansa-Brandenburg, Friedrichshafen and Sablatnig for a two-seat floatplane fighter around the new 240 hp Maybach Mb IV. Sablatnig based its design on the SF 3, and the aircraft were delivered for trials in September 1917.

Variants

Three were built, including one used only for breakage tests.

Where you'll see it

It was about 12 km/h faster than the rival Hansa-Brandenburg W 19, but the W 19 was chosen, mainly because the two competitors had no spare capacity. The SF 7 was not produced.

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