Flight, November 1928

BERLIN AERO SHOW 1928

The Focke-Wulf G.L. 22

   Designed primarily as a training machine for commercial pilots in preparation for the piloting of large commercial multi-engined aircraft, the type G.L. 22 exhibited by the Focke-Wulf firm of Bremen was a small twin-engined monoplane with two Siemens S.H. 12 engines of 100 h.p. each. The machine was of typical Focke-Wulf design and construction, except for the twin-engined arrangement of the power plant, which did not necessitate any very drastic changes in design.
   The G.L. 22 might quite well be used as a small commercial machine on "feeder lines," or where the amount of traffic is not great. The cabin, although in the training machine it was not equipped as it would be in a passenger carrier, would readily seat at least four passengers, and its dimensions were such that as a goods carrier also, the G.L. 22 would be sufficiently roomy.
   As exhibited, the idea was to enable extended training and practice flights to be made, the instructor(s) changing seats with the pupil(s) during flight.
   The monoplane wing was of usual Focke-Wulf type, with a single box spar stiffened in torsion by a three-ply covered leading edge. The rear wing portion was fabric covered. The fuselage was a wood girder, fabric covered at the back, but the cabin portion was double plywood covered.
   The two Siemens S.H. 12 engines were mounted one on each side under the wing, supplied with petrol from tanks in the leading edge. The undercarriage was of very wide track, and had the telescopic legs running to the wing engine mountings, as shown in one of our sketches.
   The main characteristics of the Focke-Wulf G.L. 22 were: Length, overall, 11 m. (36-1 ft.); wing span, 16 m. (52-5 ft.). Wing area, 34-5 sq. m. (371 sq. ft). Tare weight, 1,130 kg. (2,485 lbs.); permissible load, 490 kg. (1,078 lbs.). Gross weight, 1,620 kg. (3,563 lbs). Wing loading, 52-5 kg./m.2; (9-6 lbs./sq. ft.). Power loading (on 200 h.p.) 17-8 lbs./h.p. Maximum speed, 156 km./hr. (97 m.p.h.); landing speed, 80 km./hr. (50 m.p.h.). Climb to 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 9 mins. Ceiling, 3,500 m. (11,480 ft.). Range, 900 km. (560 miles).