BFW CL.I
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Germany |
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The BFW CL.I served as a German prototype escort fighter during the First World War.
Design and development
The initial flight of the CL.I took place in April 1918; however, its performance was deemed inferior when compared to the Hannover CL.V. Consequently, modifications were implemented, including the installation of a lighter fuselage, resulting in the updated designation CL.Ia. Testing conducted on 14 September 1918 yielded unsatisfactory outcomes. Following this, BFW initiated a redesign of the CL.Ia, culminating in a completely new model named the CL.III. Only one prototype of the CL.III was constructed, but it never flew due to the November 1918 Armistice. An additional evolution, the CL.IV, remained a conceptual project and was not realized.
The second prototype of the CL.I, identified by BFW as Type 18, was equipped with a 175 hp (130 kW) MAN Mana III six-cylinder inline engine and received the designation CL.II. Its test flights occurred in July 1918.
Variants
- CL.I
- The original design (BFW type 17); two units produced
- CL.Ia
- A lighter fuselage version; one unit converted from an existing CL.I
- CL.II
- (BFW type 18) One CL.I fitted with a 175 hp (130 kW) MAN Mana III engine
- CL.III
- A redesigned iteration of the CL.Ia; one prototype constructed
- CL.IV
- Planned further development that remained incomplete before the armistice
Specifications (CL.Ia)
References
- William Green and Gordon Swanborough; The Complete Book of Fighters, Salamander, 1994. p. 62 ISBN 1-85833-777-1.
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