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

W.K.F. 80.05 Austria-Hungary

   The first fighter of original design to be produced by W.K.F. (Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik Dr W v Gutmann), the W.K.F. 80.05 single-bay staggered triplane designed by Ing Alfred Gassner was completed in November 1917. Of wooden construction, it utilised a so-called Fischrumpf, or ‘‘Fish[-shaped] Fuselage”, of hexagonal cross section with plywood skinning, and the wings, which had I-type, aerofoil-section interplane struts, had ailerons on the upper and centre planes only. The W.K.F. 80.05 was powered by a 200 hp Austro-Daimler six-cylinder inline water-cooled engine and provision was made for an armament of twin synchronised Schwarzlose machine guns. Forward view from the cockpit was extremely limited by the very shallow cabane and the radiator bracing, and only limited flight testing of the sole W.K.F. 80.05 prototype was undertaken.

Max speed, 124 mph (200 km/h).
Endurance, 1.5 hrs.
Max range, 155 mis (250 km).
Empty weight, 1,477 lb (670 kg).
Loaded weight, 2,061 lb (935 kg).
Span, 26 ft 2 7/8 in (8,00 m).
Length, 19 ft 9 in (6,02 m).
Height, 9 ft 8 1/8 in (2,95 m).
Wing area, 242.9 sq ft (22,49 m2).

P.Grosz, G.Haddow, P.Shiemer Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One

WKF 80.05

  In early September 1917, Gassner began the layout of a triplane fighter using a narrow hexagonal fuselage made sufficiently deep to provide adequate wing gap for aerodynamic efficiency. The wings and tailplanes were veneer-covered and, like the fuselage, were polished to a mirror finish. Four ailerons provided good manoeuvrability. The light but robust undercarriage was not wire-braced, having been intentionally designed to give way in the event of a crash. On 13 September 1917, Flars asked WKF to submit a formal proposal for building four fighter prototypes. The contract, signed on 5 November, provided WKF with funds to support work on the 80.05 triplane and three biplane fighters, numbered 80.06, 80.10, and 80.12.
  The 80.05 triplane, powered by a 200 hp Daimler engine, made its debut at Aspern in October-November 1917 for engineering inspection and flight testing. Flars regarded the structural concept favorably but reported the climb performance lagged behind that of rotary-engined triplane fighters. To reduce the wing loading, wings of greater area were fitted to the prototype in early March 1918. Further information regarding the 80.05 flight evaluation is unavailable. A postwar article stated that the 80.05 prototype was rejected on grounds of insufficient pilot visibility and the arrival of the far-superior WKF 80.06 biplane fighter.
  The 80.05 triplane, reported "assembled" at Fischamend in October 1918, was turned over to the Fischamend industrial works for disposal on 22 May 1919.

WKF 80.05 (Final Version) Specifications
Engine: 200 hp Daimler
Wing: Span Upper 8.00 m (26.25 ft)
Span Middle 7.80 m (25.59 ft)
Span Lower 7.60 m (24.93 ft)
Chord Upper 1.20 m (3.94 ft)
Chord Middle 0.95 m (3.12 ft)
Chord Lower 1.00 m (3.28 ft)
Total Wing Area 22.49 sq m (242 sq ft)
General: Length 6.82 m (22.38 ft)
Height 2.70 m (8.86 ft)
Track 1.70 m (5.58 ft)
Climb: 3000m (9,843 ft) 11 min

E.Hauke, W.Schroeder, B.Totschinger Die Flugzeuge der k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppe und Seeflieger 1914-1918

80. Flugzeuge der Wiener Karosserie-Fabrik (W.K.F.) Wien und Hennersdorf
80.05 W.K.F. Dr D-Type Dm 200