Phönix Flugzeug-Werke

Phönix Flugzeugwerke was an Austro-Hungarian aircraft company based in Vienna.

Aircraft

Phönix C.I

Phönix's first native design was the Phönix C.I, developed with inspiration from the Hansa-Brandenburg C.II. The C.I was a two-seater reconnaissance and multipurpose biplane, which featured a superb range of fire for its gunner. It had two seats, a 230 hp Hiero engine, a wingspan of 11 meters, a length of 7.6 meters, an empty weight of 800 kg, a maximum speed of 175 km/h, and could reach an altitude of 1,000 meters in 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

96 C.Is were built, tested in Aspern, and introduced in 1918. They remained in service with the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops until the end of the First World War.

After the war, Sweden built 30 C.Is under license, which remained in service until the late 1920s.

Phönix D-types

A total of 158 Phönix D-types were produced during the war, the last of which was delivered on November 4th, 1918. Some were converted into reconnaissance aircraft and served with both the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops and the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

The single-seater Phönix D.I was an improved-version of the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I. The first D.I prototype was tested in the summer of 1917. The D.I was produced in three types - 128, 228, and 328 - with the only difference between them being the configuration of their Hiero engines.

Likewise, 48 Phönix D.IIs were produced for the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops. Similarly to the D.I, three variants (122, 222, and 322) were produced, each with variations in their engines.

An attempt was later made to improve the maneuverability of the D-types (this time featuring ailerons on all wings), eventually giving rise to the Phönix D.III. Only three D.IIIs were delivered before November 1918, all to the Austro-Hungarian Navy under the designation J.31. Two further D.IIIs, designated J.32, were delivered to Albania. The sole remaining D-type, designated J.41, was sold to Sweden in 1919 alongside its licensing rights by the designer Edmund Sparrmann. The D.III continued to be produced in Sweden and equipped with BMW IIIa engines until 1927. An example is on display in the Swedish Air Force Museum.