W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters

SIEMENS-SCHUCKERT (SSW) E I Germany

   The first single-seat fighter to be produced by the Siemens-Schuckert-Werke (SSW), the E I monoplane was designed by Franz Steffen and completed in October 1915. Of conventional shoulder-wing arrangement with warp control rather than ailerons, the E I had steel-tube wing spars, fabric-covered wings and plywood-covered fuselage, power being provided by a Siemens-Halske Sh I nine-cylinder rotary engine of 100 hp and armament comprising a single synchronised 7,9-mm LMG 08/15 machine gun. After completion of flight testing on 17 March 1916, the E I was recommended for service, and the Idflieg placed a contract for 20 aircraft with the SSW Nurnberg facility. Only five E Is were listed as being at the Front on 31 October 1916, by which time the type had been rendered obsolescent by the appearance during the Battle of the Somme of the Nieuport 11.

Max speed, 87 mph (140 km/h) at sea level.
Range, 130 mis (210 km).
Empty weight, 1,043 lb (473 kg).
Loaded weight, 1,484 lb (673 kg).
Span, 32 ft 9 2/3 in (10,00 m).
Length, 23 ft 3 1/2 in (7,10 m).
Height, 9 ft 2 1/4 in (2,80 m).
Wing area, 172.23 sqft (16,00 m2).


SIEMENS-SCHUCKERT (SSW) E II Germany

   Completed early in 1916, the E II was essentially similar to the E I apart from its power plant, the Sh I rotary being replaced by a six-cylinder inline Argus As II engine rated at 120 hp. Armament remained a single 7,9-mm LMG 08/15 machine gun. The sole prototype of the E II was destroyed on 26 June 1916 during a demonstration at Doberitz, its designer, Franz Steffen, who was flying the aircraft, losing his life. No details of the E II are available.


SIEMENS-SCHUCKERT (SSW) E III Germany

   Following the small production batch of E I monoplanes, the Siemens-Schuckert-Werke received an Idflieg contract for six additional aircraft designated E III. These differed from the E I only in power plant type. Powered by a 100 hp Oberursel UI nine-cylinder rotary engine, the E III retained the airframe and armament of the E I, a proposed development, the E IV, being similar apart from a circular-section fuselage. The dimensions and performance of the E III were similar to those of the E I.

Empty weight, 1,054 lb (478 kg).
Loaded weight, 1,495 lb (678 kg).

J.Herris Siemens-Schuckert Aircraft of WWI (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 12)

SSW E.I

   The SSW E.I was completed in October 1915 and finished its tests on March 17, 1916. Of conventional wire-braced wood construction with fabric-covered wings and ply-covered fuselage, it was recommended for production and an order for 20 aircraft, 550-569/15, was placed by Idflieg. Production was undertaken by the SSW Transformer Works in Nurnberg. The E.I was fitted with one synchronized machine gun. Eight E.Is were powered by the 90 hp Sh.O and the remainder by the 110 hp Sh.I. An additional airframe was powered by a 120 hp Argus As.II, becoming the sole SSW E.II. Like the Fokker designs, it used wing-warping instead of conventional ailerons for roll control. Unfortunately, the SSW monoplanes arrived after the D.H.2 and Nieuport 11 had established technical superiority over the early monoplane designs and were too late to make an impact.

SSW E.I Specifications
Engine: 110 hp Siemens-Halske Sh.I
Wing: Span 10.00 m
Area 16.0 m2
General: Length 7.10 m
Height 2.80 m
Empty Weight 473 kg
Loaded Weight 673 kg
Maximum Speed: 140 km/h


SSW E.II

   The SSW E.II was essentially an E.I airframe powered by an in-line 120 hp Argus As.II engine; like the E.I it carried a single machine gun. The one prototype built first flew in early 1916. Its designer, Franz Steffen, suffered a fatal crash in the E.II while demonstrating it at Doberitz on June 26, 1916.


SSW E.III & E.IV

   Ordered in April 1916, the SSW E.III was an E.I airframe with a 100 hp Oberursel; again one synchronized gun was carried. Six aircraft, 620-625/16, were built. A derivative of the E.III was proposed with a circular fuselage; known as the E.IV, it remained a project.
  
Siemens-Schuckert Monoplane Fighter Specifications
E.I E.II E.III D.VI
Engine 110 hp Sh.I 120 hp As.II 100 hp Oberursel U.I 205 hp Sh.IIIa
Armament One MG One MG One MG Two MG *
Span 10.00 m — 7.10 m 9.37 m
Length 7.10 m — 7.10 m 6.50 m
Height 2.80 m — 2.80 m 2.72 m
Wing Area 16.0 m2 — 16.0 m2 12.46 m2
Empty Weight 473 kg — 478 kg 540 kg
Loaded Weight 673 kg — 678 kg 710 kg
Maximum Speed: 140 km/h — — 220 km/h (@ 2,000m)
Climb: 6,000m NA — — 16 minutes
7,000m NA — — 22 minutes
Ceiling: — — — 8,000m
Notes: 1. E.II dimensions similar to E.I except length.
2. SSW D.VI armament is that projected for production; the two prototypes were unarmed.

M.Dusing German Aviation Industry in WWI. Volume 2 (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 85)

Siemens-Schuckert-Werke, Abt. Flugzeugbau, Siemensstadt b. Berlin (SSW)

Aircraft Development:

Transformatorenwerk Nuremberg

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  The start of aircraft construction at the Nuremberg branch plant developed hand in hand with the main plant in Siemensstadt. The first delivery order consisted of 25 monoplanes with permanently installed machine guns. 19 aircraft were equipped with Siemens rotary engines, the rest received rotary engines from Oberursel. Initially, production proceeded in very slow steps, since on the one hand there was too little manpower, and on the other hand delivery of the aircraft was delayed, since on the one hand the MGs were missing and on the other hand the rotary engines were delivered late.
  Due to the fact that these monoplanes were replaced by biplanes at the front and a repeat order was not planned, the construction of a new biplane "D.5” was started in June 1916 as a type aircraft for a new series. However, no delivery contract was signed.
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