Hansa-Brandenburg W.12
| W.12 | |
|---|---|
| Right-forward oblique view of a W.12 in flight | |
| General information | |
| Type | Floatplane fighter |
| Manufacturer | Hansa-Brandenburg |
| Designer | |
| Primary users | Kaiserliche Marine |
| Number built | 181 |
| History | |
| First flight | Early 1917 |
The Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 was a biplane fighter floatplane built by the Hansa-Brandenburg Aircraft Company (Hansa Brandenburgische Flugzeugwerke) for the Imperial German Navy's (Kaiserliche Marine) Naval Air Service (Marine-Fliegerabteilung) during World War I. Six prototypes were ordered in 1916 and deliveries began the following year. The W.12s served on the Western Front, based at the naval air bases in Occupied Belgium and along the German Bight. The aircraft was successful, and one shot down the British airship C.27.
In 1919 the government of the Netherlands bought a licence to build the aircraft. 35 W.12s were subsequently manufactured by the Van Berkel company of Rotterdam as the W-A, serving with the Dutch Naval Aviation Service until 1934.