O.Thetford, P.Gray German Aircraft of the First World War (Putnam)

Lubeck-Travemunde F 1
   The Flugzeugwerft Lubeck-Travemunde G.m.b.H. was founded in May 1914 at Travemunde Privall, for the construction of seaplanes. First product was the F 1, a large four-bay two-seater with tapered wings, of which three examples were built, Nos. 282-284. Engine, 160 h.p. Mercedes D III.

Lubeck-Travemunde F 2
   A total of eleven F 2s were supplied; comparatively large armed two-seaters with no less than four bays of struts in each wing panel. Radio transmitting equipment was carried, and the observer was armed with Parabellum machine-gun. Engine, 220 h.p. Mercedes D IV 8-cylinder, geared. Span, 19.0 m. (62 ft. 4 1/8 in.). Length, 11.32 m. (37 ft. 1 5/8 in.). Height, 3.575 m. (11 ft. 8 3/4 in.). Area, 86 sq.m. (929 sq.ft.). Weights: Empty, 1,540 kg. (3,388 lb.). Loaded, 2,204 kg. (4,849 lb.). Speed, 136 km.hr. (85 m.p.h.). Climb, 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 10 min. Marine numbers allocated were 677 and 1147-1156. Machines varied slightly in dimensions and weights; data given is for No. 677.

Lubeck-Travemunde F 4
   Thirty-four F 4 seaplanes were built in 1917-18 and were used on armed reconnaissance patrol duties. Radio was carried and in the illustration the aerial weight may be seen hanging underneath the fuselage mid-way between tail and wings. Marine numbers were 1971-1973, 2135 and 7001-7030. Engine, 200 h.p. Benz Bz IV. Span, 16.7 m. (54 ft. 9 1/2 in.). Length, 11.3 m. (37 ft. 0 7/8 in.). Height, 4.0 m. (13 ft. 1 1/2 in.). Area. 57.64 sq.m. (731 sq.ft.). Weights: Empty, 1,366 kg. (3,005 lb.). Loaded, 1,998 kg. (4,396 lb.). Speed, 138 km.hr. (86.25 m.p.h.). Climb, 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 9.3 min. Armament, one Parabellum machine-gun in rear cockpit.

J.Herris German Seaplanes of WWI (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 15)

Lubeck-Travemunde Floatplanes

  Flugzeugwerft Lubeck-Travemunde G.m.b.H, was founded in May 1914 at Travemunde Privall for the construction of seaplanes. It was a subsidiary of Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke (DFW), best known for its DFW C.V two-seat reconnaissance airplane.
  Lubeck-Travemunde produced four floatplane designs and delivered at least 18 seaplanes to the German Navy; SVK records after June 1918 are not complete. Only a handfull of Lubeck-Travemunde F2 and F4 floatplanes flew on operations.


  
Lubeck-Travemunde F1

  The first Lubeck-Travemundes design was the F1, a large, unarmed, four-bay two-seat reconnaissance floatplant, of which three examples were ordered, Marine Numbers 282-284. It was powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.III engine. The first flight of the F1 was in June 1914. From the SVK records only Marine Number 282 was built and the other two were cancelled.


Lubeck-Travemunde F2

  The Lubeck-Travemunde F2 was an improved version of the company's earlier F1 floatplane and was the first armed aircraft built by the company. The F2 was designed as a class CHFT two-seat reconnaissance floatplane powered by a 220 hp Mercedes D.IV straight-eight engine. The observer's rear cockpit was fitted with a wireless transmitter and receiver and a single flexible Parabellum machine gun. There was no gun for the pilot.
  The prototype F2, Marine Number 677, was a massive, four-bay biplane. It was ordered in March 1916 and delivered to the SVK in December 1916.
  Ten production aircraft, Marine Numbers 1147-1156, were ordered in December 1916. These and all subsequent F2 floatplanes were three-bay biplanes. Deliveries of these floatplanes started in August 1917 and were completed in February 1918. Another order for six floatplanes, Marine Numbers 1974-1979, was placed in October 1917; delivery of these aircraft started in March 1918, immediately after completion of the first production order. Delivery of five of these aircraft is verified by SVK records, which are incomplete after June 1918, making a total of 16 aircraft confirmed delivered of the 17 ordered.


Lubeck-Travemunde F2 #677 Specifications
Engine: 220 hp Mercedes D.IV
Wing: Span 19.0 m
Wing Area 86 m2
General: Length 11.32 m
Height 3.575 m
Empty Weight 1,540 kg
Loaded Weight 2,204 kg
Maximum Speed: 136 km/h
Climb to 1,000 m: 10.0 min.

  

Lubeck-Travemunde F4

  The Lubeck-Travemunde F4 was the final Lubeck-Travemunde design to be ordered and built. Like the earlier F2, it was a class CHFT armed, two-seat reconnaissance floatplane equipped with wireless transmitter and receiver. Like the F2, only the observer had a gun.
  The F4 was a somewhat smaller, lighter aircraft than the preceding F2 and had the less powerful but more reliable 200 hp Benz Bz.IV six-cylinder engine. The first batch of three prototype aircraft, Marine Numbers 1971-1973, was ordered in October 1917 in parallel with the last F2 production batch. Marine Number 1971, the first prototype, was delivered in March 1918. Marine Number 1972 was destroyed during structural testing and Marine Number 2135 was ordered to replace it.
  Thirty F4 floatplanes, Marine Numbers 7001-7030, were ordered in February 1918 before delivery of the prototype. Because SVK delivery information past June 1918 is missing it is not known how exactly many of these were delivered. However, the photograph of Marine Number 7022 indicates that most, and perhaps all, of this batch were delivered.


Lubeck-Travemunde F4 Specifications
Engine: 200 hp Benz Bz.IV
Wing: Span 16.7 m
Wing Area 57.64 m2
General: Length 11.3 m
Height 4.0 m
Empty Weight 1,366 kg
Loaded Weight 1,998 kg
Maximum Speed: 138 km/h
Climb to 1,000 m: 9.3 min.



Afterword

  The two F4 floatplanes that served in Norway were apparently both imported by the United Sardine Factory, Bergen. The first was imported and registered in August 1919 and may have been ex German D-73. The serial number was given as 503. This machine received the registration N-2. Returned to Germany in the spring of 1920 for modification, it went to the Norwegian Navy as F.46. A second F4, civil registration N-15, was also imported by the United Sardine Factory in July 1920, but was sold to the Navy as F.48, finally being scrapped on 7 April 1930.
  Johan Hover recalled that the Norwegian Navy purchased two F4 floatplanes. Friedrich Christiansen, the German naval ace, arrived at Horten in July 1920 in order to clear the way through customs for these two F4 floatplanes. The aircraft had been converted to take four passengers and were for a proposed sale in Bergen. The sale did not go ahead and their return through customs was postponed. In the event the Norwegian Naval Air Service was able to buy the two aircraft for a reasonable price party due to the favorable exchange rate for the German Mark then prevailing. These aircraft were equipped with a 220-260 hp Benz six cylinder water-cooled engine. This engine had a good reputation for reliability and could be bought cheaply from Sweden. Given the Navy serials F.26 and F.48, they were later converted to three seaters with a spacious cabin for the radio operator The design was so efficient in its lifting capacity that in 1923, F.46 was converted to take a torpedo. It could easily take off with a 500 kg V-b torpedo and completed a lengthy torpedo program. As a result thereof the Naval Air Service and Mine Section gained a lot of useful experience in this field. During practice runs 75% hits were achieved. The F4 type served until 1930.
  In 1920 the Norwegian airline Der Norsk Luftfartrederi AS (DNL) was operating an aerial service to Bergen, Haugesund, and Stavanger on the west coast of Norway. The loss of Supermarine Channel I flying boat N-11 forced them to purchase the ex-Navy Lubeck-Travemunde F4 (serial F.46). This service was closed down soon afterwards on 15 October 1920, and the F4 was returned to the Navy.