| B.II | |
|---|---|
 An Albatros B.IIa in thePolish Aviation Museum | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Albatros Flugzeugwerke |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Luftstreitkräfte |
| History | |
| First flight | 1914 |
TheAlbatros B.II, (post-war company designationL.2) was an unarmed two-seatreconnaissancebiplane designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturerAlbatros Flugzeugwerke. It was the aircraft that brought Albatros Flugzeugwerke to the world's attention.[citation needed]
The design of the B.II, which included an unusually strong fuselage and an atypically flexibletrailing edge, drew heavily upon the precedingAlbatros B.I. Various measures were incorporated to elevate its usefulness as a reconnaissance aircraft, such as the presence of large square cutouts in the lower wingspars to increase downwards visibility from the observer's position. The pilot was seated behind the observer, rather than in front as later convention would dictate. In terms of flying performance, the B.II was inherently stabile and relatively docile, characteristics that naturally lent itself to the trainer role for which a dedicated variant, theB.IIA, would be developed. Further developments, including afloatplane and theAlbatros B.III, would also be produced.
The B.II was active from the onset of theFirst World War, being operated by theLuftstreitkräfte during the opening year of the conflict primarily to perform aerial reconnaissance. It was displaced from frontline service due to the arrival of more capable armed reconnaissance types, and was then used as a primary trainer.[1] The B.II proved to be an export success, being adopted by multiple countries, both inside and outside of theCentral Powers. Some of these overseas operators, such as theSwedish Air Force in 1919 and thePolish Air Force, continued to operate the type even after theArmistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the conflict.
There is some dispute over the origins of this B.II; the aeronautical engineerErnst Heinkel claimed to have designed the aircraft, however this claim is widely considered untrue by many aviation historians.[2] It is commonly accepted that the aircraft's actual designer wasRobert Thelen. Irrespective of this controversy, the design process commended during peacetime and drew extensively upon the precedingAlbatros B.I.[3] One of the most clear visual distinctions between the B.I and the B.II was a noticeably shorterwingspan of the latter.
The fuselage of the B.II, which was atypically strong for the era, was primarily composed ofplywood.[3] The primary structural members of this fuselage comprised fourlongerons of mixed construction, comprisingash forward of the cockpit andspruce to the aft, that tapered sharply towards the rear. The design of the fuselage was commonplace amongst the company's twin-seat aircraft.[3] The nose of the aircraft features a rounded metal panel along with the aircraft's engine; various engines would be used to power the type, such as theMercedes D.II, which was capable of up to 89 kW (120 hp). The majority of the engine block was uncovered.[3] Cooling was achieved viaradiators fitted to the sides of the forward fuselage alongside the cockpit.[3]
The B.II was operated by a crew of two; as was commonplace at the time, the pilot was seated in the rearcockpit while the observer was seated in the forward position.[3] The field of view from observer's position was partially obstructed downwards by the center-section trestle while the forward view was negatively impacted by the protruding engine block. To improve the downward field of view, large square cutouts were present in the lower wingspars; the lower wing also had a shorter span than its upper counterpart.[1] The structure of the wing followed the company's established practices, comprising a pair of spars, the rearward of which being roughly in the middle of the wing, making thetrailing edge atypically flexible and thus gave the B.II a level of inherent stability. It hadailerons with an inverse taper while the operating cables ran externally over the surface of the lower wing.[4]
The B.II was furnished with a large triangular tail, akin to the B.I; it had an unbalancedrudder andelevator control surfaces.[3] Both the tailplane andfin were braced via astreamlinedsteelstrut. The structure was mainly composed of lightweight steel tubing, while the exterior covering wasfabric.[3] Theundercarriage used a traditional V-shaped chassis and was also composed of steel tubing; a claw-type break was fitted to the center of the axel. The tailskid, which was made of ash, featured an elastic shock chord and was installed upon an inverted pylon structure.[4]
Various improvements and modifications were made to the B.II following its entry to service. Many aircraft would receive strengthening, particularly around the tail unit, while the radiators were also relocated from the fuselage sides to the center of the wing'sleading edge.[4] Afloatplane variant of the B.II was developed, known as theW.1 orB.II-W, as was a purpose-built trainer with increased wingspan, dual flying controls, and different engines, designated theB.IIa. Further developments of the design led to theAlbatros B.III, which was produced in small numbers. Across multiple variants, large numbers of the B.II were built both on behalf of theLuftstreitkräfte and various other military air services, typically those amongst theCentral Powers.
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First flown in 1914, the B.II was already operationally active by the outbreak of the First World War during July 1914.[4] It was heavily used through the first 12 months of the conflict in the aerial reconnaissance role; however, as theAllies fielded increasing numbers of armed military aircraft, the B.II was relatively defenseless due to its lack of armament. Thus, following the introduction of the armed C-type two-seaters that took over the reconnaissance role, the B.II was relegated from frontline duties.[4] However, largely due to its relatively docile flight characteristics and economic engine, the B.II found a new life, remaining in use as atrainer, and thus remained active with theLuftstreitkräfte throughout the conflict.[4]
During 1914, the B.II established a world altitude record of 4,500 m (14,800 ft).[citation needed]
A B.II fromFeldflieger Abteilung 41 was one of the first landplanes (as opposed toZeppelin) to drop bombs on England that caused some damage;[5] on 16 April 1915, ten bombs were dropped by hand in the area ofSittingbourne andFaversham. No significant damage or casualties resulted.[6]
During 1914, Albatros Flugzeugwerke toured several countries across northern Europe, performing displays of the then-new B.II. It was considered one of the best primary trainer aircraft available at that time.[citation needed] However, both the landing gear and propeller of the demonstrator aircraft were damaged upon its arrival in Sweden. Due to the outbreak of the First World War, no spares could be sent and the aircraft was interned. It was subsequently repaired and operated in the trainer role by theSwedish Air Force. This aircraft was later copied and manufactured in Sweden by six different aircraft companies:Svenska Aeroplanfabriken (SAF),Södertelge Werkstäder (SW),Marinens Flygväsende (MFV),Nordiska Aviatikbolaget (NAB),AB Thulinverken as theThulin C andFlygkompaniets Verkstäder Malmen (FVM). It was the first military trainer aircraft in Sweden and received the designationSk 1 andÖ2 in the Swedish Air Force (the two types differed slightly, mainly by choice of engine). An FVM-built Sk 1 Albatros is on public display in theSwedish Air Force Museum nearLinköping. The type was used until 1935. One aircraft was later sold to Finland.[citation needed]
NAB Albatros Type 9 (and SW 20 Albatros), Type 12 and Type 17 were among the first aircraft of theFinnish Air Force. It was in use between 1918 and 1923. There were two Type 9s, and one each of the Type 12 and 17. There was also one SW 20 Albatros, which was similar to the Type 9. The Type 12 aircraft was destroyed in the ferry flight to Finland; the remains of the aircraft were found nearEckerö,Åland. Type 12 was actually a modifiedCurtiss Twin JN with floats made by NAB.[citation needed]
The Albatros B.II was widely used by the K.u.K; somewhat confusingly, it was assigned the designationAlbatros B.I (series 21).[citation needed]
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Data fromGerman Aircraft of the First World War[9]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Records set
Related lists
