Thulin LA

LA

Manufacturer: AB Thulinverken
Designed by: Enoch Thulin
Introduced: 1917
Retired: 1920
Number built: 15

Thulin LA was a Swedish twin-seat, single-engine biplane designed by Enoch Thulin in 1917, based on the Thulin L and E aircraft, but with a new fuselage and stabilisator. The L and E aircraft were in turn based on the German Albatros B.II aircraft, like the NAB Albatros. The main design criteria was to replace the heavy Mercedes engine wilth a lighter Thulin A engine, but this was not entirely successful.

The Thulin LA was used in Sweden, Holland (10) and Finland (1). This type also made the first passenger transports between Sweden and Denmark in 1919. Altogether there were 15 Thulin LAs built.

Use in Finland

The Finnish Air Force (The Whites) received one aircraft as a gift from Sweden by the grocery magnate G. Svensson in the spring of 1918.

The aircraft arrived by ship to Turku on May 5, 1918, from where it was transported to Lento-osasto V in November. The aircraft was mainly used as a trainer aircraft. It was desroyed in a crash, due to engine malfunction, outside Helsinki's Pohjoissatama in February 1919.

Operators

Finland

Finnish Air Force

Netherlands Sweden

Swedish Air Force

Specifications (LA)

Data from Suomen Ilmavoimat I

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 36.0 m² (387.3 ft²)
Empty weight: kg (lb)
Useful load: kg (kg)
Max takeoff weight: kg (lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Thulin typ A 9-cylinder rotary piston engine, 67 kW (90 hp)

Performance

Never exceed speed: km/h (knots, mph)
Maximum speed: 120 km/h (65 knots, 74 mph)
Cruise speed: km/h (knots, mph)
Stall speed: km/h (knots, mph)
Range: km (nm, mi)
Service ceiling: m (ft)
Rate of climb: m/min ()
Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
Power/mass: W/kg (hp/lb)

Sources

Keskinen, Kalevi; Partonen, Kyx¶sti and Stenman, Kari: Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-2-9.
Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus: Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneet 1918-1939, Tietoteos, 1976.

Thulin LA Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia