Albatros L 76

Albatros L 76
Role Reconnaissance aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Albatros
First flight 1927
Number built 6

The Albatros L 76 Aeolus was a German military reconnaissance aircraft built by Albatros Flugzeugwerke in 1927. The plane had wooden dual-spar wings with plywood skins supported by N-type struts and a fabric-covered fuselage made of welded steel tubing. The aircraft was used for testing,[1] as well as the training of the Soviet Air Force.[2] It was difficult to fly, and killed many people, including Emil Thuy,[3] who crashed near Smolensk on June 11, 1930,[1] and Paul Jeschonnek, who crashed near Berlin on June 13, 1929. As a result, it had to be improved, leading to the production of the Albatros L 77v, designed by Ernst Heinkel Flugzeugwerke.

Operators

 Soviet Union

Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 8.55 m (28 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.76 m (41 ft 10 in)
  • Height: 3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
  • Wing area: 27.8 m2 (299 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,615 kg (3,560 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × BMW VI inline engine, 450 kW (600 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 235 km/h (146 mph, 127 kn)

Notes

  1. ^ a b Beauvais, Heinrich (2002). German secret flight test centres to 1945: Johannisthal, Lipetsk, Rechlin, Travemünde, Tarnewitz, Peenemünde-West. Midland. ISBN 978-1-85780-127-9.
  2. ^ Boyd, Alexander (1977). The Soviet Air Force since 1918. Stein and Day. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8128-2242-7.
  3. ^ Musciano, Walter A. (1966). Eagles of the black cross. L. Obolensky. p. 261.

References

  • Michael J. H. Taylor, Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions, London (1989).
  • W.Green & G Swanborough, The Complete Book of Fighters. Salamander Books, London (1994). ISBN 1-85833-777-1