Austro-Hungarian flying boats and unreliable engines

The German navy rejected this pusher flying boat, while the Austro-Hungarian Navy adopted it and arranged licensed production at UFAG in Budapest. Its single-step hull and V-shaped bracing suited hard landings and demanding operations, with the crew in open cockpits toward the bow. The Austro-Daimler engine proved persistently unreliable in service despite successful tests. Investigation traced the failures to poor lubricating oil at the front: the high-quality oil used during testing was unavailable in operational conditions. Austro-Daimler discontinued the engine, and many aircraft received alternative powerplants. Captured examples underwent Italian examination, and an example sent to the United States Naval Aircraft Factory was dismantled, reassembled, and test flown. Reliable operation depended on the airframe, engine, and wartime lubricant supply working together.