Hansa-Brandenburg W.33

Hansa-Brandenburg W.33



This fighter seaplane, created in April 1918, was an enlarged copy Hansy-Brandenburg W.29 originally with a Mercedes engine of 194 kW. During the summer and autumn of 1918, 26 machines were ordered, but only about six of them managed to reach the combat units. Machines No. 2538 to 2563 are certain, but the production of another series followed, because machine No. 2670 surrendered to the British after the armistice. This machine had a Maybach Mb.IV engine with an output of 183 kW. Of the deployed aircraft, the first three had a Maybach engine and two machine guns in the bow, the other two had only one machine gun and a Basse und Selve engine with an output of 224 kW, but later also received the Maybachs. The latter probably also had Maybach and his armament consisted of one fixed machine gun and one 20mm Becker cannon, operated by the shooter.


Following the Versailles Peace Conference, licensed production was agreed in Norway and Finland. The Finns first bought several machines, in 1921 they also bought a license. Between 1922 and 1925, about 120 pieces were produced, machines marked as IVL A.22 Hansa and were very for a long time the largest number of machines of one type built in this country. The first built A.22 took off on November 4, 1922, these licensed Hansas had a Fiat A.12bis engine with an output of 224 kW and were in service until 1936.


Two machines were sold to Latvia in December 1926, where they were given fuselage numbers 12 and 13. On March 4, 1927, both aircraft got into a thick fog on the way from Liepaja to Ventspils near the village of Sarnata and sank after an emergency landing. Their crews, Jakubovs, Strauja, Veldums and Vitolinš, then had to spend several days waiting to be picked up. However, their machines were eventually hunted and, after the necessary repairs, lasted in operation until 1933.


The Scandinavian W.33 was used mainly for naval reconnaissance. The Norwegian W.33 took part in Amundsen's polar expedition and two W.33 and one Sopwith Baby based in Svalbard took part in the search for the airship "Italia" in 1928 and then for Roald Amundsen and his crew, who disappeared during the search for the airship. . Over 300 W.33 machines were also built by Japan, which introduced them into service under the designation Navy type Hansa.


Source:
www.fiddlersgreen.net
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww1/w33.html
http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/hansa_w-33.php
www.wwi-models.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IVL_A.22_Hansa