Albatros Pusher?

I recently returned from a deployment to the Mediterranean and had the opportunity to visit several small towns/cities in Croatia. (Split, Dubrovnik and Splunj) In between trainings ops, I had the opportunity to scrounge through several small used/antique bookshops. I purchased several dealing with everybody’s favorite topic. Unfortunately, all of the text is in Croat, Serbian, Slovenian or mixtures of each. (None of which I speak) Several of the old magazines and books refer to the ALBATROS C.II pusher. I had seen one photo many years ago, (I found it again in some files I had forgotten about.) Anyway, all the photos appear to be of the same particular aircraft, just taken from different angles. (Unless all of these aircraft were required to have a wheel barrel and broom behind them. Obviously an early war regulation.) I am assuming this aircraft was a stopgap measure and was never produced en masse’. Does anyone have any particulars on this aircraft, i.e., speed, ceiling, armament, power plant, numbers built etc. Thanks in advance.

VBR
The Gunny

[Cliff]

According to 'German Aircraft of the First World War' by Thetford and Grey, the single example of the Alb. C.II pusher (C 27/16) was built to assess the possibilities of the pusher layout. It was powered by a 150 h.p. Benz BzIII engine and appears to have used a complete set of C.I wings and undercarriage.
Hope this helps.

Cliff

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Nick:
I would like to offer an observation on the Alb.C.II. I think it may have been a study of performance of "Pusher vs. Tractor aircraft. This study may have been issued by Idflieg. The Alb.C.II 27/16 was most likely the only one built. Idflieg would often issue a block serial numbers, generally six in an award for a manufacture to design and develope engineering prototypes. I suspect that the Alb. C.III came from the same contract.
Semper Fi Mac
Dan-San Abbott

Dan-San, The fact that the Jerries prototyped a pusher in 1916 seems to show that they were quick to acknowledge the efficiecy of the enemy planes that ended the Fokker scourge. Do you happen to know the month of manufacture, or the reason why the chosen German pusher was an oberservation plane rather than a fighter?

The Alb C.II wasn't the only German pusher. AGO built several pusher models, and I'm pretty sure the C.II version served in some numbers on the western front.