Grigorovich M-16

Grigorovich M-16 (alternative designation ShCh M-16, sometimes also Shchetinin M-16) was a successful Russian World War I-era biplane flying boat of the Farman type, developed from the M-9 by Grigorovich. Somewhat larger than the M-9, the M-16 was a version especially intended for winter operations, with better aerodynamic qualities.

M-16
Role	Reconnaissance flying boat
Manufacturer	Shchetinin
Designer	Dmitri Grigorovich
Introduction	1916
Retired	1920s
Primary users	Russian navy Finnish Air Force
Number built	40
Developed from	Grigorovich M-9

Wartime use

Six M-16s fell into Finnish hands during the Russian Civil War. The first Finnish parachute jump was made on June 17, 1922 from a M-16 by Eero Erho. The aircraft were flown until 1923. One additional plane was captured by the fledgling Estonian Air Force.

Variants

• M-16 : Two-seat reconnaissance floatplane.

Operators

 Estonia

• Estonian Air Force

 Finland

• Finnish Air Force

 Russia

• Imperial Russian Navy

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Naval Aviation

Specifications (M-16)

Data from Thulinista Hornetiin – 75 vuotta Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneita,[1] Grigorovich Flying Boats[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 61.8 m² (665 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,100 kg (2,425 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,450 kg (3,197 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Salmson P9 -cylinder water-cooled radial piston engine, 110 kW (150 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
• Endurance: 4 hours
• Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,500 ft)

Armament

• Guns: 1x Machine gun

References

1. Heinonen, Timo (1992). Thulinista Hornetiin – 75 vuotta Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneita (in Finnish). Tikkakoski: Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo. ISBN 951-95688-2-4.
2. "Grigorovich Flying Boats". Russian aviation in WW1 and Civilian War (in Russian and English). Retrieved 18 December 2019.

Bibliography

• Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". Air Enthusiast, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Kulikov, Victor (December 1996). "Le fascinante histoire des hydravions de Dimitry Grigorovitch" [The Fascinating History of the Seaplanes of Dimitry Grigorovitch]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (45): 20–33. ISSN 1243-8650.