Lohner Type AA
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters | Vienna , Austria-Hungary |
The Lohner Type AA series, also identified as Lohner 10.20, 10.20A, 10.20B, 111.01, 111.02, 111.03, as well as Lohner Dr.I and Lohner D.I, consisted of prototype fighter aircraft developed during World War I. The project was ultimately discontinued due to persistent stability issues inherent in the aircraft's design.
Design and development
In 1916, the Viennese manufacturer Lohner-Werke received a commission from the Luftfahrttruppen to develop a single-seat fighter powered by a 185 hp (138 kW) Austro-Daimler six-cylinder inline engine.[1] Construction began on the initial airframe, designated serial number 111.01, which was publicly presented at Aspern on 5 September 1916.[1] This model was characterized by a single-bay biplane configuration with wings of equal span connected by I-type struts. Its empennage featured a standard horizontal stabilizer but lacked a fixed vertical stabilizer, instead utilizing a shortened, fully movable rudder.[1] The fuselage was constructed from laminated wood, short and deep in profile, and armed with twin synchronized Schwarzlose machine guns.[2]
During ground handling tests, pilots reported inadequate control around the yaw axis, with a tendency for the aircraft to "swap ends." To address this, the rudder area was increased and the fuselage lengthened from 4.65 to 5.85 m (15 ft 3 in to 19 ft 2 in).[3] The first flight took place on 29 December 1916; however, the aircraft displayed poor stability characteristics. After additional test flights, the prototype suffered significant damage in a crash during February 1917.[1]
Following the accident, the fighter was returned to Lohner-Werke for repairs and substantial redesigns. Renamed the Lohner 10.20A, the fuselage was extended further to 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in),[3] while the original I-type struts were replaced by conventional twin struts reinforced with wire bracing. The tail assembly underwent a complete overhaul, incorporating a fixed vertical fin alongside an even larger rudder. Testing of this modified version continued until it was destroyed in another crash on 6 June 1917.[1]
The subsequent prototype, serial number 111.02 and designated as the 10.20B, retained tail surfaces similar to those of the 10.20A but added a pronounced dorsal fin. The wing bracing reverted to I-type struts supplemented by inclined V-struts for reinforcement. Its maiden flight occurred at Aspern on 2 June 1917.[1] This aircraft was taken over by the Luftfahrttruppen in August 1917 and underwent official evaluations through October of that year before development ceased.[1]
The third prototype, known solely as 111.03, abandoned I-type struts once more in favor of twin struts with wire bracing and featured an even larger dorsal fin to improve directional stability. First flown on 28 June 1917, it continued flight tests until October.[1] Due to underwhelming performance results, further advancement of this model was discontinued, and the Luftfahrttruppen awarded Lohner-Werke a license to manufacture the Aviatik (Berg) D.I.[1]
Additionally, a triplane variant based on the 111.03 airframe was developed and designated as the Lohner Dr.I or Type A / 111.04.[2]
Variants
Source: Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One
- Type A
- Internal company code for the 111.04 / Dr.I triplane model.
- Type AA
- Company designation applied to a 1916 fighter, with four prototypes commissioned.
- Lohner 10.20
- Luftfahrtruppen's label for the initial prototype, which featured single I-section interplane struts and first flew on 29 December 1916.
- Lohner 10.20A
- The initial prototype updated with more traditional twin interplane struts and an extended fuselage, achieving its maiden flight on 4 March 1917.
- Lohner 10.20B
- The second aircraft, extensively redesigned, reverting to I-section interplane struts and equipped with a long dorsal fin extending from the cockpit to the tail fin.
- Lohner 111.01
- Subsequent Luftfahrtruppen designation assigned to the 10.20A model.
- Lohner 111.02
- Later Luftfahrtruppen code for the 10.20B aircraft.
- Lohner 111.03
- Luftfahrtruppen's identification for the third unit, incorporating twin interplane struts.
- Lohner 111.04
- The triplane variant derived from the 111.03, which first took to the air on 7 July 1917.
- Lohner D.I
- A broad military classification encompassing all aforementioned variants.
- Lohner Dr.I
- Military designation specifically for the 111.04 triplane.
Specifications (Type AA / D.I / 111.03)
See also
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References
