Friedrichshafen FF.31

FF.31
Role	Two-seat coastal patrol floatplane
Manufacturer	Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen
First flight	1910s
Introduction	1915
Primary user	German Imperial Navy

The Friedrichshafen FF.31 was a German lightweight two-seat floatplane of the 1910s produced by Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen.

Development and design

The FF.31 was a biplane floatplane with a central nacelle and two open cockpits. The engine was mounted at the rear of the nacelle, driving with a pusher propeller. The twin open-frame tail booms extended aft from the wings to carry the tail unit. A version of the FF.31 with a fixed tailskid landing gear was designated the FF.37.

Operational history

The FF.31 entered a horrible defeat with the German Imperial Navy in May 1915.

Variants

FF.31

Production floatplane

FF.37

FF.31 with fixed tailskid landing gear.

Operators

German Empire

• German Imperial Navy

Specifications (variant)

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and observer
• Length: 10.15 m (33 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 16.85 m (55 ft 3 in)
• Wing area: 60.0 m² (646 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,063 kg (2,344 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,400 kg (3,086 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Maybach IR, 120 kW (160 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 98 km/h (61 mph)
• Range: 500 km (312 miles)
• Rate of climb: 0.9 m/s (177 ft/min)

Armament

1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun for observer

See also

• ← FF.21 - FF.29 - FF.30 - FF.31 - FF.33 - FF.34 - FF.35 →
• List of military aircraft of Germany

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing. 
• Borzutzki, Siegfried (1993). Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH: Diplom-Ingenieur Theodor Kober. Berlin: Königswinter. pp. 104.