The Bayerische Flugzeugwerke M 18 (BFW M 18), (later known as Messerschmitt M 18) was an airliner, produced in Germany in the late 1920s.
Design and development
Designed at the request of Theodor Croneiss to supply his new airline venture which was to become Nordbayerische Verkehrsflug (NOBA),[1] it was a conventional high-wing cantilevermonoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage. The prototype was built of wood, although production examples would have a metal structure.[2] The design was praised in its day for the cleanness of its aerodynamics, lightness of construction, and economy of operation[3][4]
Operational history
An M 18 in flight
The first M 18 to enter service with NOBA was provided by Messerschmitt in exchange for a 49% share of the new company, and on 26 July it began commercial flights.[5] NOBA's early successes enabled the company to place orders for additional examples of an improved model, the M 18b. It would eventually purchase twelve of these,[1] but manufacturing them would exceed the capacity of Messerschmitt's own small firm, leading to a merger with Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) in 1927. Following NOBA's reorganisation into DEVAG in 1931, a small number of a further-improved version, designated M 18d, were ordered, but the type was soon superseded by the similar but larger Messerschmitt M 20.[2]
Variants
M 18a
three-seat production version with 60 kW (80 hp) Siemens-Halske Sh 11 engine (two built)
M 18b
Messerschmitt M.18b photo from Les Ailes December 15, 1927three/four-seat production version with 82 kW (110 hp) Siemens-Halske Sh 12 engine (12 built)
M 18c
photographic survey version with 164 kW (220 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine (two or three built)
M 18d
enlarged six/seven/eight-passenger version, produced with a variety of engines, including the 164 kW (220 hp) Armstrong Siddely Lynx, 112 kW (150 hp) Walter Mars and 240 kW (320 hp) Wright Whirlwind. (eight built)
