Oertz Flying boat No 46

[Regulus]

Hi,

Trying to find more about this plane (specifications) that was used in Zeebrugge Seeflugstation during 1915.

Thanks and best from Regulus

[Regulus]

I know that the Oertz Flying boats 41-46 were sent to Flanders for testing, and so were flown from Zeebrugge.
Is there also anything known about these testing results ?

Best from Regulus

[Cigogne]

The RMA (Reichs Marine Amt) ordered several examples of flying boat type aircraft for evaluation. These ran from the American Curtiss type flying boat, No. D18, and Albatros, Oertz, Friedrichshafen, and a Sopwith "Batboat." After comparing them with floatplane type aircraft they decided that they favored the floatplane over the flying boat. Why? The floatplanes performed better in the wave conditions that existed in the North Sea.

On the other hand, their Austro-Hungarian cousins seemed to favor the flying boat type of water aircraft almost exclusively.

Things that make you go "Hmmmm."

Cigogne

[Regulus]

Hi Cogogne,

Interesting indeed. Even early 1915 the few planes at Seeflugstation Zeebrugge, mostly were floatplanes and not flying boats as the photo's and lists clearly show.
And very curious indeed that the Austro-Hungarians made the opposite choice. Your Hmmm is very correct !
Never heard about the testing of the Sopwith 'Batboat' however before, interesting, do you know more about this ?

Thanks and best from Regulus

[Cigogne]

I've read just short inferences from the Alex Imrie booklet on German Naval Aviation and there also was an article in Cross & Cockade INternational back in 1989 or so about it. They purchased it in 1913 before the war. The article had photos of the type in flight, if I recall properly.

Cigogne

Regulus,

I know that the Oertz Flying boats 41-46 were sent to Flanders for testing, and so were flown from Zeebrugge.

Best from Regulus *

Actually the Naval numbers 41 to 46 were used for a number of different flying boats from different manufaturers (if my sources are correct, the Batboat discussed above was one of them, with the naval number 44).

Only no 46 was an Oertz design. Actually, this was the only Oertz FB 3 (FB for FlugBoot = Flying Boat) build.

Not much more that I know of the FB 3, beside the fact that it followed rather standard Oertz design, with the engine (a Daimler D I) buried inside the fuselage and driving a pusher prop via what seems to be a chain drive. It seems that the FB 3 was a more conservative adaption of the earlier FB 2 (which had a substantially bigger lower wing, compared to the upper one).

Max Oertz of Hamburg/Reiherstieg is described in contemporary sources as a "famous boat/yacht builder", which might explain why he ended up building flying boats.

Obviously, the FB 3 did not fare that bad, as Oertz later build and delivered some developed versions (notably the W 5, of which some data and photos exist, and the exotic tandem biplane/quadroplane "Flugschooner). But even Oertz mainly build some (Sablatnig) floatplanes in licence, before selling his aircraft business to Brandenburg in 1918.

ThereŽs not much to be found on Oertz flying boats, but you might find something in the Motorbuch Verlag book on "Deutsche Flugboote" and the book on German flying boats and floatplanes in the series "Die deutsche Luftfahrt" by Bernhard & Graefe(guessing only, I have seen both books, but did not buy them or look that close either).

Volker

[Regulus]

Thank you very much Volker !

So it most certainly looks as I have some wrong data on the 41-46 numbers and also that I have a very bad quality photo, but on the other hand unique photo of the Oertz No 46 flying boat at Zeebrugge.
Any ideas Volker on the fact which number of the other series (41-42-43-45) stood for what kind of plane ?

Thanks and best from Regulus

Any ideas Volker on the fact which number of the other series (41-42-43-45) stood for what kind of plane ?

Some tough nuts in that one, but here we go:

41: Friedrichshafen FF11 - Proven, and BTW the boat or fuselage was build by Oertz as well for this a/c

42 - claimed to be a Lohner (most probably "L" I guess - I donŽt know any source to really prove that)

43 - claimed to be a Curtisss "F" - again no certain proof available to me

44 - The Bat Boat II, proven

45 - Unnamed AEG Flying Boat (unless one accepts "FB" as a designation), high wing (ie, parasol) aircraft which crashed during early trials.

46 - The Oertz FB 3 discussed above

Personally, IŽd be most interested in that elusive German Curtiss F boat, if it really existed...


Volker

[Cigogne]

A photo of the Curtiss Flying Boat numbered D18 taxing at Kiel Holtenau does exist and appears as photo Nr. 9 in Alex Imrie's German Naval Air Service by Arms & Armour press/Vintage Aviation Fotofax booklet.

Regards,

Cigogne