Engineering:Albatros C.VII

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Albatros C.VII
Albatros C.VII.jpg
Role Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke
First flight early 1916
Introduction September or October 1916
Retired 1918
Primary user Germany
Produced 1916
Number built 400
Developed from Albatros C.V

The Albatros C.VII was a German military reconnaissance aircraft which saw service during World War I. It was a revised and re-engined development of the Albatros C.V, which had proved disappointing in service.

Design & development

The C.VII dispensed with the earlier C.V's unreliable Mercedes D.IV and also with the modifications that had been made to accommodate that powerplant, returning to the original C.V/16 design. Refinements were also made to the control surfaces, the overall effect was an aircraft with excellent handling qualities. The C.VII soon made up the bulk of German reconnaissance aircraft, with some 350 in service at one time.

Variants

C.VI
N.I
Night-bomber variant.
L 18
A single C.VII converted for civil use post WWI

Operators

 German Empire
  • Luftstreitkräfte

Specifications (C.VII)

General characteristics

  • Crew: two, pilot and observer
  • Length: 8.70 m (28 ft 6 in)
  • Wingspan: 12.78 m (41 ft 11 in)
  • Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
  • Wing area: 43.4 m2 (467 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 989 kg (2,180 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,550 kg (3,420 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IV , 150 kW (200 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 96 kn)
  • Endurance: 3​13 hours
  • Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,500 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 3.2 m/s (630 ft/min)

Armament

  • 1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08/15 machine gun
  • 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun for observer
  • 90 kg (200 lb) of bombs

References

  • Grosz, Peter M. (1999). Albatros C.VII. Windsock Datafile 77. Berkhamsted: Albatros Publications. ISBN 9781902207186. 
  • Herris, Jack (2012). Nachtflugzeug: German N-Types of WWI. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. 3. n. p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-10-0. 
  • Klaauw, Bart van der (March–April 1999). "Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War". Air Enthusiast (80): 54–59. ISSN 0143-5450. 
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 52–53.