Udet U 5

U 5
Role Touring aircraft
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Udet Flugzeugbau
Designer Hans Henry Herrmann
First flight 1923
Number built 1
Developed into Udet U 8

The Udet U 5 was a touring aircraft developed in Germany in the early 1920s.[1][2][3] It was found to be underpowered for its intended role, and only a single example was built.[3] However, its design served as the basis for the more successful Udet U 8.[3]


Design

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The U 5 was a parasol-wing, cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration.[4] It had a conventional tail, and fixed, tailskid undercarriage.[4] The pilot sat in an open cockpit, and an enclosed cabin could seat two passengers.[4] Power was provided by a radial engine in the nose, driving a two-bladed propeller.[4]

Construction was wooden throughout.[4] The fuselage was built of moulded plywood in an oval cross-section.[4] The wings had an almost elliptical planform and were mounted to the top of the fuselage on very short struts.[4] Unlike previous Udet designs that had a very angular fin, the U 5 had a fun with a curved leading edge, resembling the fins of Albatros aircraft of World War I.[4]

Development

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Construction of the U 5 was completed in July 1923, and it received the registration D.302.[3] Udet Flugzeugbau hoped to present it at the 1923 aeronautical exhibition in Gothenburg in August, but it was not ready in time.[3]

Apart from the overall lack of power, testing revealed that the aerodynamic fairings fitted to the cylinders of the radial engine made it prone to overheating, and these were removed.[3]

Specifications

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Data from Birchal 2013, p.45

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 pilot
  • Capacity: 2 passengers
  • Length: 7.28 m (23 ft 11 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.0 m (39 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 18 m2 (190 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 470 kg (1,036 lb)
  • Gross weight: 800 kg (1,764 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Siemens-Halske Sh 5 seven-cylinder, radial, air-cooled piston engine, 57 kW (76 hp) (77 PS)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 92 kn)

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Taylor 1993, p.873
  2. ^ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft 1984, p.3035
  3. ^ a b c d e f Bichel 2013, p.44
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Bichel 2013, p.44–45

Bibliography

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  • Bichel, Olaf (2013). Die Flugzeuge der Udet Flugzeugbau GmbH [The aeroplanes of the Udet Flugzeugbau company] (in German). Oberschleißheim: Bayerische Flugzeug-Historiker eV.
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. Vol. 13. London: Aerospace Publishing. 1984.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1993). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.