Hansa-Brandenburg W.27

W.27 and W.32
Role	Fighter floatplane
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Hansa-Brandenburg
Number built	2

The Hansa Brandenburg W.27 and W.32 were prototype fighter floatplanes developed in parallel in Germany during World War I. They were developments of and intended replacements for the W.12 then in service and differed from each other principally in the choice of powerplant, the W.27 with a Benz Bz.IIIb and the W.32 with the same Mercedes D.III that the original W.12 used.

Like the W.12, the W.27 and W.32 were single-bay biplanes of largely conventional configuration, unusual only in having no dorsal tail fin, but an all-moving rudder that projected below the fuselage and forward of the rudder post. They differed from the earlier design in having shorter fuselages, more severely staggered wings, and I-struts for both the interplane and cabane bracing, where the W.12 had used more conventional strutting.

Neither prototype resulted in any production orders, and the true successor to the W.12 was to be its monoplane derivative, the W.29.

Specifications (W.27)

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and gunner
• Length: 9.23 m (30 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
• Height: 3.06 m (10 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 36.1 m² (389 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,109 kg (2,444 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,619 kg (3,569 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IIIb, 145 kW (195 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)

Armament

• 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine guns
• 1 × trainable, rearward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun