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Fieseler Fi 167

1938 WORLD WAR 2

History

For decades, "torpedo bombers" have been a clear threat to all surface combatants. They started in the period before the First World War (1914-1918) and by the time of World War II (1939-1945) had become a more refined weapon. In 1937, the German Aviation Ministry issued a new requirement to operate torpedo bombers on the German Navy's planned aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin.

Fieseler responded with a two-seater open-air cockpit, double-deck wings, and fixed landing gear in the "Fi 167." Fourteen of them were built between 1936 and 1942.

Department of Air Force specifications call for an all-metal biplane capable of reaching speeds of 185 miles per hour and a range in excess of 600 miles. The biplane wing arrangement, while possibly obsolete at the time, would provide good lift characteristics for carrier operations while benefiting pilots through improved control.

In addition to its established role as a torpedo carrier, the airframe should also prove suitable for the general role of dive bombers against mobile warships.

Fieseler's design was compared to Arado's competitor (Ar 195, three of which were built) - they were the only two companies on the project. Arado's submission won in 1938, which resulted in V1 and V2 prototypes being built for official testing, before twelve pre-production forms named "Fi 167 A-0" were ordered.

The Fi 167 has several unique features built into its design: the fixed landing gear can be dropped in flight for emergency water landings, while the lower wing assemblies contain inflatable bladders that keep the aircraft above the waterline for a specified length Can last - hopefully long enough to save. Like Fieseler's other product, the classic Fi 156 'Storch' high-wing light aircraft (described in detail elsewhere on this page), the Fi 167 appears to "float" in the air, its low speed, low altitude handling characteristics well and the aircraft Ideal for carrier operations that require landings on moving runways.

The production progress of the Fi 167 aircraft was as slow as the construction of the Graf Zeppelin itself. However, the latter project was soon terminated in 1940 (but resumed in 1942), which allowed the Fi 167 to return for the foreseeable future without any role in the German Navy. As a result, the production of the fighter was stopped, and the remaining airframes were transferred to test units.

Some were later used in naval roles outside German-controlled Dutch territory, and some were later sold to Croatia, who saw the army as a supply transport in 1944-45.

When complete, the Fi 167 is 11.4 meters long, with a wingspan of 13.5 meters and a height of 4.8 meters. 6,175 pounds empty and 10,700 pounds fully loaded.

Power comes from a single liquid-cooled Diamler-Benz DB601B inline-piston engine that produces 1,100 horsepower and propels the aircraft to speeds of 200 mph at altitudes up to 27,000 feet. The range is 800 miles and the cruise speed is close to 155 mph.

Weapons include 1 x 7.92mm MG 17 machine gun and 1 x 7.92mm MG15 machine gun and 1 x 7.92mm MG15 machine gun, mounted on the rear trainable. The aircraft is authorized to carry 1,685 lb torpedoes or 2,200 lb bombs, or a mixed group of 1,100 lb bombs and 4 x 110 lb bombs.