| Albatros C.I | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Albatros Flugzeugwerke |
| Primary users | Luftstreitkräfte |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1915 |
| Retired | 1917[1] |
| Developed from | Albatros B.II |
| Variant | Albatros C.III |
TheAlbatros C.I, (post-war company designationsL.6 &L.7), was a twin-seat general-purposebiplanes designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturerAlbatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the first of the successful C-series aircraft operated by theLuftstreitkräfte.
During the opening year of theFirst World War, unarmed aircraft such as theAlbatros B.II became increasingly vulnerable to the increasing numbers of armed military aircraft fielded by theAllies.[2] In response to a requirement formulated in late 1914, Albatros designed the C.I; based on the B.II, the C.I reversed thepilot andobserver seating so that the observer occupied the rear cockpit which was provisioned with amachine gun, typically a ring-mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in)Parabellum MG14. The aircraft was also furnished with a more powerful powerplant, such as the 150 hp (110 kW)Benz Bz.III or a 160 hp (120 kW)Mercedes D.III engine, and had relatively favourable flying characteristics.
During late April 1915, the type entered frontline service with theLuftstreitkräfte; it quickly proved itself to be a success and 228 aircraft were operational by the end of the year, comprising 42% of the total strength of C-type aircraft. Amongst its various roles, it became used as afighter aircraft, noted pilots such asOswald Boelcke andManfred von Richthofen flew in the type. It performed various mission roles, includingaerial reconnaissance,artillery spotting, and evenbombing. Improvements to the C.I ultimately resulted in theAlbatros C.III, which led to the aircraft being withdrawn from active combat on theWestern Front during 1916. It continued to be used in the secondary trainer role, being outfitted with dual controls for training new pilots as well as observers. The C.I remained operational in German service through to theArmistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the conflict. The C.I saw further use in the hands of other operators, including theLithuanian Air Force,Polish Air Force, and theSwedish Air Force.
In late 1914, the GermanLuftstreitkräfte, the air service of theImperial German Army, developed a requirement for two-seat aircraft, the C-type, powered by engines of at least 150 hp (110 kW) and armed with at least one machine gun.[3][4] TheAlbatros Flugzeugwerke's design team, headed by the aeronautical engineerRobert Thelen, opted to produce an aircraft to fulfil this requirement; this aircraft, the C.I, was a development of Albatros' unarmedB.IIbiplane. This new design was visibly larger than the preceding aircraft.[5] Other key differences between the C.I and the B.II included its use of a more powerful engine, while the pilot was moved to the front cockpit, the observer being instead seated in the rear cockpit and provided with a flexibly mountedmachine gun,[6][7] which was usually aParabellum MG 14, but sometimes the less satisfactoryBergmann MG 15 was also used.[8][9]
The fuselage of the C.I was, much like the B.II, was primarily composed ofplywood.[10] The primary structural members comprised fourlongerons of mixed construction, comprisingash forward of the cockpit andspruce to the aft, to which numerous plywood slab panels lining the aircraft were attached. The design of the fuselage, which eliminated the need for internal bracing, was commonplace amongst the company's twin-seat aircraft.[10] Again similar to the B.II, the aircraft's wing structure had the rearward of its twospars positioned roughly in the middle of the wing, which made thetrailing edge atypically flexible and thus gave the aircraft a level of inherent stability. None of the flight control surfaces were balanced.[11]
The C.I was powered by a 150 hp (110 kW)Benz Bz.III or a 160 hp (120 kW)Mercedes D.III engine, which were both water-cooledsix-cylinder inline engines, depending on availability.[6][7] Aircraft flown by theImperial German Navy were equipped with the 150 hp (110 kW)Rapp Rp III engine, as the service had been denied access to the preferred Benz or Mercedes engines.[12] Despite attention paid by the design team tostreamlining the aircraft in general, this was somewhat negated by theradiators.[8] The majority of early aircraft had their radiators attached to the side of the fuselage, but this arrangement was substituted for on later-built C.Is, which instead used a radiator that was fitted to the centre-section of the upper wing'sleading edge.[6][8]
During 1915, roughly 485 C.Is were ordered from Albatros while a further 88 C.Is were ordered fromLuft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft (which used thetrade name Roland for its aircraft). Furthermore, 56 C.Is were ordered from Albatros'Austro-Hungarian subsidiaryOstdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW) for theAustro-Hungarian Aviation Troops.[13]
In 1917, in response to a growing demands for training its aircrew, theLuftstreitkräfte placed a series of very large orders fortrainer aircraft, which included the C.I. TheBayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW) built the C.Ia, designed to be powered by the 180 hp (130 kW)Argus As III, while the C.Ib, powered by a Mercedes D.III, was built byMercur Flugzeugbau.[14] During August 1918, Albatros and Mercur received orders for a new trainer version, the C.If, withpneumatic springs replacing the rubber shock cords used in the aircraft'sundercarriage owing to shortages of raw materials, although it unclear how many, if any, C.Ifs were completed.[15] Improvements to the C.I resulted in theAlbatros C.III which became the most prolific of the AlbatrosC-types.[16]
During late April 1915, the C.I began to reach frontline units of theLuftstreitkräfte;[17] it served inaerial reconnaissance,artillery spotting,bombing, and photography roles. The type proved to be successful, demonstrating its favourable performance, easy handling, and robust construction, qualities that made the aircraft popular with its crews.[6][18]
Its effective armament also resulted in the C.I being used as afighter aircraft;Oswald Boelcke claimed his first victory while flying a C.I with Lt. von Wühlisch as the gunner.[18][19] When flown in the fighter role, pilots often flew relatively aggressively, intentionally positioning their aircraft into favourable positions for the observer to open fire upon enemies. Boelcke's success quickly inspired other crews;Germany's most famousaviator of the First World War,Manfred von Richthofen, also began his career as an observer in the C.I on theEastern Front.[18] Typically, those pilots who demonstrated their effectiveness in the fighter role with the C.I would be transferred to dedicated fighter aircraft.[18]
Throughout the rest of 1915, increasing numbers of C.Is were delivered and introduced; by the end of that year, it had become one of the most numerous C-type aircraft of the front, comprising 228 aircraft or 42% of the total strength of C-type aircraft in service. Despite these numbers, the type had a relatively short frontline service life, being phased out of use on theWestern Front during 1916 after units were replaced by the more capable Albatros C.III. The C.I continued to see frontline action on theEastern Front against the Russians well into 1917.[20]
The C.I's viceless handling heavily lent the type to its future use in the training role. It was operated for both the training of the crews of observation aircraft and, when outfitted with dual controls, as a pilot trainer. In this capacity, the aircraft remained in use by theLuftstreitkräfte through to the end of the conflict.[21]
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Data fromGerman Aircraft of the First World War[23]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
