The FBA 17 was a training
flying boat produced in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in the 1920s.
Design and development
Similar in general layout to the aircraft that FBA had produced during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the Type 17 was a conventional two-bay
biplane with unequal-span, unstaggered wings and side-by-side open cockpits. The
pusher engine was mounted on struts in the interplane gap. Apart from their use by the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
, a small number were sold to the
Polish Navy, the
Brazilian Air Force, and civil operators as well. Some versions were built as amphibians, and others had fittings to allow them to be
catapulted from warships.
In 1931, the
US Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
purchased an example for evaluation, and being pleased with the design, arranged for the type to be built under licence by the
Viking Flying Boat Company in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...
. Six aircraft were eventually produced and served with the Coast Guard under the designation OO until the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Variants
;17 HE.2:(''Hydravion d'École'') 2-seat trainer,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (over 300 built).
;17 HL.1:(''Hydravion de Liaison) 1-seat catapulatable liaison aircraft,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (1 built)
;17 HL.2:2-seat catapultable liaison aircraft,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (10 built)
;17 HMT.2
:(''Hydravion Mixte de Transport'') 2-seat amphibious transport aircraft,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (37 built)
:A FBA-17HMT2 plane called ''Lubliniak'', was bought by the
Airborne and Antigas Defence League (LOPP) with was funds donated by the readers of ''Głos Lubelski'', for use in propaganda flights across central and eastern Poland.
;17 HMB.2:17 HMT 2s already in service with the French Navy, were redesignated HMB 2, after being fitted with a bomb rack on the port side of the hull.
;17 HMT.4:4-seat amphibious transport aircraft,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (2 built)
;17 HT.4:(''Hydravion de Transport'') 4-seat transport aircraft,
Hispano-Suiza 8A
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
-powered, (35 built)
;171 HE.2:2-seat trainer,
Lorraine Mizar-powered, (1 built).
;172 HE.2:2-seat trainer,
Gnome et Rhône 5B
The Bristol Titan was a British five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the late 1920s. It had the same size cylinders as the earlier Bristol Mercury engine, (displacing ), and produced ...
-powered, (5 built).
;172 HMT.2:2-seat amphibious transport aircraft,
Gnome et Rhône 5B
The Bristol Titan was a British five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the late 1920s. It had the same size cylinders as the earlier Bristol Mercury engine, (displacing ), and produced ...
-powered, (1 built).
;172 HT.4:4-seat transport aircraft,
Gnome et Rhône 5B
The Bristol Titan was a British five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the late 1920s. It had the same size cylinders as the earlier Bristol Mercury engine, (displacing ), and produced ...
-powered, (1 built).
;172/2:The HT.4 was redesignated Type 172/2,
Gnome et Rhône 5B
The Bristol Titan was a British five-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the late 1920s. It had the same size cylinders as the earlier Bristol Mercury engine, (displacing ), and produced ...
-powered, after it was fitted with extra fuel tanks.
;Viking V-2:French-built HT.4s converted to 2-seaters (4 converted)
;Viking OO-1:longer-span,
Wright R-760
The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...
-powered version of V-2 produced for USCG (5 built)
Operators
;
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Brazilian Air Force
*
Brazilian Naval Aviation
Brazilian Naval Aviation ( pt, Aviação Naval Brasileira; AvN) is the air arm of the Brazilian Navy operating from ships and from shore installations.
History
The Brazilian Naval Aviation branch was organized in August 1916, after creation of ...
;
*
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
;
*
Polish Navy
;
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United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
;
China
Specifications (17 HE.2)
See also
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{USN observation aircraft
1920s French military trainer aircraft
Flying boats
FBA aircraft
Single-engined pusher aircraft
Biplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1923