The FVM J23 was a single-seat, single-engine fighter development originating from Sweden's Flygcompaniets Verkstader at Maimen (FVM). Its design is attributed to engineers Henry Kjellson and Ivar Malmar. Work on the fighter began in 1922 but a structural deficiency largely doomed the program in the long term and just a handful of examples were completed before the end.
The J23 was of largely conventional design concerning post-World War 1 fighters save for its high-mounted "parasol" wing mainplane. It fitted its engine in the nose in the usual way and sat the single pilot in an open-air cockpit over midships. The high-mounted nature of the mainplane allowed the pilot to see over and under the member, improving basic vision out-of-the-cockpit. This was further enhanced by a section of the member's trailing edge being cut out to better serve the pilot. Beyond this, the aircraft relied on a smooth, tapering fuselage, fixed tail-dragger undercarriage, and single-finned tail unit. Wooden construction was used throughout.
Dimensions included a length of 22.7 feet, wingspan of 36.10 feet, and height of 8.3 feet. Empty weight reached 1,700lb against a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 2,175lb.
Power was from a BMW IIIa 6-cylinder inline piston engine developing 185 horsepower and used to drive a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose in traditional tractor fashion. Performance specs ultimately included a maximum speed of 122 miles-per-hour, a service ceiling of 26,000 feet, and a climb rate nearing 1,063 feet-per-minute.
Standard armament was 2 x 8mm m/22 series machine guns, these synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades. While seemingly modest, the twin-gun arrangement was a long-running standard for fighter aircraft of the post-war period.
The project eventually yielded five flyable prototypes. In 1923, they were each featured in the International Air Exhibition at Gothenburg and were extensively flight-tested into March of the following year. It was at this point in the program that a failure of the mainplane caused one of the test pilots to be killed (Axel Norberg) in an accident. The incident forever damaged the program and interest in the dangerous aircraft soon fell to naught despite modifications made to the structure to rectify the weakness.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
Length
22.6 ft (6.90 m)
Width/Span
36.9 ft (11.25 m)
Height
8.4 ft (2.55 m)
Empty Wgt
1,698 lb (770 kg)
MTOW
2,172 lb (985 kg)
Wgt Diff
+474 lb (+215 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base FVM J23 production variant)
Installed:
1 x BMW IIIa 6-cylinder inline piston engine developing 185 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base FVM J23 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
2 x 8mm m/22 machine guns over the nose in fixed, forward-firing mountings synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
J23 - Base Series Designation; five flyable prototypes completed before project's end.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Images Gallery
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Image from the Public Domain.
Similar Aircraft
Aviation developments of similar form and function, or related to, the FVM J23...
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Sweden (cancelled)
