Austro-Hungarian WKF Aircraft Designators

[Apophenia]

WKF - Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik

WKF began in June 1913 as the auto/lorry-builder Wiener Karosseriefabrik W.Gutmann (after its founder. industrialist Wilhelm von Gutmann). Work on aircraft production began in 1916. The company name was officially changed to Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik (WKF; or Vienna Body and Aircraft Factory) on 31 Oct 1916.

The headquarters and factory of WKF were located in Wien X (Vienna's 10th district) but, in 1917, an airfield - Flugfeld Hennersdorf - was established just south of Vienna for airframe final assembly and testing. On the same site, a sawmill for aircraft-grade timber was also established.

WKF's initial aircraft were licensed Ungarische Lloyd designs. Licensed Aviatiks and Knollers followed. But it was not until 1917 than WKF chief designer, ing Alfred Gassner began work on original aircraft designs for the firm. Of these, only the Bauart 85 aka WKF D.I biplane fighter went into production (albeit, too late for service during WW1).

Under the k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen's 1916 manufacturers' code system, the Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik was assigned nummer '80' and Abkürzung 'Wkf'. However, as noted in the type entries, in modern texts the accurate (Wkf) suffix for license-built aircraft is very often rendered as '(WKF)' or even '(W.F.K.)' [sic].

With Austrian military aircraft production forbidden after WW1, the WKF facility was taken over by the Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (ÖWG; Austrian Weapons Factory Co.) in 1920. With aircraft production all but non-existent, the ÖWG take-over couldn't prevent the inevitable and the plant was finally closed for good in 1926.

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[Apophenia]

WKF - Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik Aircraft

Below, the production types built by WKF are listed by their k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen 'design' (Bauart) number or, less often as a 'series' (Serie) number. In common usage, these aircraft would have been referred to by their k.u.k. LFT role designations - eg: Lloyd C.II(Wkf), with the suffix indicating production by (and any changes imposed by) the Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik.
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WKF License-Produced Aircraft Series
NB: 80 series prototype and development types will follow this list.

Bauart 42 - 1915 Lloyd C.II; licensed by WKF; x 50*
- Bauart 42: Lloyd Pfeilflieger biplane; 2-seat recce
- Bauart 42: 1 x 150 hp Austro Daimler; span 14.60 m
- Bauart 42: Orig. unarmed; later, flex. Schwarzlose
-- * WKF production only; another 50 x Lloyd built
-- aka Lloyd C.II(Wkf) often rendered as '(WKF)'

Bauart 43 - 1916 Lloyd C.III; licensed by WKF; x 50*
- Bauart 43: Lloyd Pfeilflieger biplane; 2-seat recce
- Bauart 43: 1 x 160 hp Austro Daimler; span 14.60 m
- Bauart 43: Longer than 42; good flt. characteristics
- Bauart 42: 1 x flex. Schwarzlose; opt'l 1 x fixed mg
-- * WKF production only; another 50 x Lloyd built
-- aka Lloyd C.III(Wkf) often rendered as '(WKF)'

Bauart 44 - 1916 Lloyd C.IV; licensed by WKF; x 50*
- Bauart 44: Improved 43/C.III 2-seat recce biplane
- Bauart 44: 1 x 160 hp Austro Daimler; span 14.50 m
- Bauart 44: Separated cockpits for pilot & observer
- Bauart 44: 1 x fixed mg over wing; 1 x flexible mg
-- * Production by WKF only; serials 44.50 - 44.99
-- aka Lloyd C.IV(Wkf) often rendered as '(WKF)'

WKF Series Production Aircraft - 8x Series

Bauart 81 - 1916 Knoller C.II 2-seat recce biplane
- Bauart 81: WKF-licensed Knoller C.II(Wkf); x 24
- Bauart 81: 1 x 160 hp Austro Daimler; span 10.37 m
- Bauart 81: Structure proved weak;* trainer use
-- * True of all Knoller C.IIs, not just WKF-built

Bauart 82- 1917 Lloyd C.V; licensed by WKF; x 48*
- Bauart 82: Equivalent to the Lloyd Bauart 46.5 C.V
- Bauart 82: 1 x 220 hp Benz Bz IV(Mar); span 11.20 m
- Bauart 82: Aerodynamic improved; diagonal struts
-- 82.01-82.16 ordered 21 December 1916; total x 16
-- 82.17-82.48 ordered 18 January 1917; total x 32
-- * Note serial count is 2 short of total
-- aka Lloyd C.V(Wkf) often rendered as '(WKF)'

Bauart 83 - 1917 Aviatik C.I 2-seat recce biplane; x 40
- Bauart 83 : 185 hp Austro Daimler AD6; span 8.40 m
- Bauart 83 : Aviatik C.I(Wkf) serials 83.01-83.16; x 16
- Bauart 183: (Planned) 200 hp Austro Daimler AD6
- Bauart 183: (As built) 185 hp Austro Daimler AD 6-cyl.
- Bauart 183: Aviatik C.I(Wkf) serials 83.17-83.40; x 24
-- aka Aviatik C.I(Wkf) often rendered as '(WKF)'
-- Some C.I(Wkf) conv. into single-seat photo-recce*
-- * Plans to conv. all 40 x C.I(Wkf); only 12 x compl.
-- * No apparent change to LFT C.I(Wkf) designation
-- * Rear cockpit faired over; 'scare' gun ring retained

Bauart 84 - 1918 Aviatik D.I(Wkf) biplane fighter; x
-- 80.08: WKF-built prototype; poss. 84.01 re-serial
- Bauart 84 : 1 x 185 hp Austro Daimler; span 8.00 m
- Bauart 84 : May 1918 order; serials 84.01-84.10; x 10
- Bauart 84 : kuk LFT serials 84.01-84.10; 10 x built
- Bauart 184: 1 x 200 hp Austro Daimler; span 8.00 m
- Bauart 184: July 1917 order; 184.01-184.24; x 24
- Bauart 284: 1 x 160 hp Austro Daimler; span 8.00 m
- Bauart 284: May 1918 order; 284.01-284.24; x 24
- Bauart 384: 1 x 225 hp Austro Daimler; span 8.00 m
- Bauart 384: May 1918 order; 384.01-384.40; x 40

Bauart 85 - 1918 WKF D.I single-seat biplane fighter
- Bauart 85 : Prod'n version of 80.06b; LFT desig. D.I
- Bauart 85 : Enlarged stabs/wings comp. with 80.06
- Bauart 85: 1 x 230 hp Hiero 6N 6-cyl.; span 8.80 m
- Bauart 85: (Planned) engine-driven Gebauer M 18
- Bauart 85: Production numbers & dates unclear*
-- * k.u.k. LFT ordered x 48; only 2 by Nov 1918
-- * A further 20 x Bauart 85 compl. by Dec 1918
-- * ~5 x more completed by the end of Jan 1919
-- * Total compl. Nov 1918 to Jan 1919 = +/- 27

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[Apophenia]

WKF Prototype & Development Aircraft - 80 Series

I am placing the 80 series after the production types simply because these numbers were not regarded as designations - by either WKF or the k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppen. Instead, these numbers were k.u.k. LFT Flugzeugnummern or individual airframe construction numbers.

WKF 80.01 - Uncertain; not found in LFT records
-- 80.01: Poss. prototype Lloyd C.III(Wkf) serie 43.5

WKF 80.02 - Uncertain; not found in LFT records
-- 80.02: Poss. prototype Lloyd C.IV(Wkf) serie 44.5

WKF 80.03 - Uncertain; not found in LFT records
-- 80.03: Poss. prototype Knoller C.II(Wkf) serie 81

WKF 80.04 - 1917 prototype 2-seat recce biplane
-- 80.04: Alfred Gassner's high-perf. recce biplane
-- 80.04: 1 x 200 hp Austro Daimler 6; span 8.96 m
-- 80.04: Star-struts; veneered wings; ply fuselage
-- 80.04: WKF design office's 1st original prototype
-- 80.04: (Mod) 4-blade prop; enlarged tail surfaces
-- 80.04: Private venture; passed load test; no order

WKF 80.05 - 1917 single-seat triplane fighter; x 2
-- 80.05: Deep-fuselage; I struts; well-faired engine
-- 80.05: Flars reported poor climb & pilot visibility
-- 80.05: (Mod) Prototype with longer-span wings
-- 80.05: 1 x 200 hp Austro Daimler 6; span 8.00 m
-- Ultimately, 80.05 outshone by the 80.06 biplane

WKF 80.06 - 1918 single-seat biplane fighter; x 2
-- 80.06 : Albatros-infl. design by Alfred Gassner
-- 80.06 : Prototype for WKF D.I Serie 85; x 1
-- 80.06 : Veneered 2-bay wings; airfoil rad.
-- 80.06 : w/o in a crash; replaced by 80.06b
-- 80.06b: 2nd prototype; replaced 80.06
-- 80.06b: 1 x 230 hp Hiero 6N; span 8.80 m
-- 80.06b: Fabric-covered wings; reduced gap
-- 80.06b: 2 x 8 mm Schwarzlose M 16 mgs
-- 80.06b: With refinement, became WKF D.I

WKF 80.07 - 1918 2-seat recce-fighter biplane; x 1
-- 80.07: Parallel design with single-seater 80.06
-- 80.07: 1 x 230 hp Hiero 6N 6-cyl.; span (??) m
-- Winner of LFT's Sept 1918 climb competition*
-- * Phoenix C.Is, UFAG 60.03, Phoenix-Zaparkas

WKF 80.08 - 1918 prototype Aviatik D.I fighter; x 1
-- 80.08: Possibly inspection desig. given to 84.01
-- 80.08: 1 x 185 hp Austro Daimler 6; span 8.00 m

WKF 80.09 - 1917 Bauart 82 Lloyd C.V conversion
-- 80.09: Re-engined to prove Benz engine at fault
-- 80.09: 1 x 185 hp Austro Daimler 6; span 11.20 m
-- 80.09: Proved WKF standard; to Wiener-Neustadt
-- Stored at Aspern under a spurious serial, '82.50'

WKF 80.10 - 1918 single-seat biplane fighter; x 1
-- 80.10 : 2nd prototype for the WKF D.I Serie 85
-- 80.10 - 1 x 200 hp Heiro 6L 6-cyl.; span 8.80 m
-- 80.10 - (??) no further details

WKF 80.11 - hypothetical designation [1]

WKF 80.12 - 1918 single-seat biplane fighter; x 1
-- 80.12 : 3rd prototype for the WKF D.I Serie 85
-- 80.10 - 1 x 230 hp Heiro 6N 6-cyl.; span 8.80 m
-- 80.12 - (??) no further details

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[1] The flugzeugnummer 80.11 is listed in Die Flugzeuge Der k.u.k. Luftfahrtruppe Und Seeflieger 1914-1918 by Erwin Hauke and Walter Schroeder, 1988, but no details are given. This listing may have simply been a place-holder for a serial with no LFT documentation.

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[hesham]

Amazing work as usual my dear Apophenia,

and from old Polish site.