The DFW B.I (factory designation MD14) was a

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using Aerial photography, photography), signals ...

and trainer built by the (DFW) during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

for the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

's () Imperial German Air Service (). It first flew before the start of the war in August 1914 and was still in service as a trainer in 1918.

Development

DFW designed the B.I as an unarmed, two-seat observation

for the Imperial Air Service in 1914, with its

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

built from steel tubing and three-bay wing from wire-braced wood, both covered in doped fabric. The aircraft had a distinctive appearance that differentiated it from its contemporaries as the

leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...

of its wings curved to the junction with the trailing edge. Its shape was inspired by that of the earlier Rumpler Taube

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

, and led to the DFW aircraft being named the "Flying Banana" () by its pilots. The observer's cockpit was located beneath the upper wing while the pilot's was behind the wing's trailing edge. The aircraft flew a variety of

water-cooled Cooling tower and water discharge of a nuclear power plant Water cooling is a method of heat removal from components and industrial equipment. Evaporative cooling using water is often more efficient than air cooling. Water is inexpensive and no ...

engines, although the Mercedes D.I

straight-six A straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balanc ...

engine was commonly used. Some B.Is were fitted with the more powerful Mercedes D.II or Benz Bz.III engines. Its

radiators A radiator is a heat exchanger used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...

were located on the sides of the fuselage and its cylindrical fuel tank was positioned above the upper wing. The B.II was similar but had a more conventionally shaped two-bay wing with a straight leading edge. It mostly served as a trainer through the end of the war.Herris, pp. 66–67

Specifications (DFW B.I)

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Idflieg B-class designations 1910s German military reconnaissance aircraft B.I Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1914 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Development

Specifications (DFW B.I)

See also

References

Bibliography