Early German Two-Seaters

Hello everyone,

I was hoping some my distinguished friends here on this forum could enlighten me regarding the early German two-seaters, such as the Albatros C.I and C.III, LVG C.I, Rumpler C.I, as well as the early Aviatiks. I really cannot find any definitive information on the usage of these planes (such as numbers, popularity, pros/cons, etc.). If someone could tell me the period of service, as well as types of missions suited for them, and whether they were found serving together in the same unit, I will be eternally grateful.

regards

[JG1Schorner]

Albatros C.I was basically an Albatros B type with a machine gun. Was superceded by the C.III around Spring of 1916. The C.III was the first two seater with a forward firing MG as well as a rear firing MG. Served until late 1916 when the C.V/16 started to apear. To all appearances the C.III was a good, solid aircraft that was well liked by its crews.

LVG C.I was another early war plane with a machine gun added. Served into early 1916 when the C.II came on line. The LVG C.I was a very stable and slow machine, not terribly well suited for combat.

Aviatik C.I ... same story . Served into mid 1916 when it was replaced by the C.III. The C.III was really nothing more than a streamlined C.I, but the reduced drag added a nearly 18 MPH to its top speed. Also a slow, stable aircraft.

The Rumpler C.I was introduced (I think) around mid 1916 and served well into 1917. Good high altitude performance and handling characteristics made this one the best of the lot.

As for mission type they were all, to the best of my knowledge, general purpose two seaters. This means observation, artillery spotting, and maybe a bit of light bombing.

Hi JG1Schorner,

That's a lot of good information. Out of the four, do you have any idea which aircraft was favored by pilots/units for the different roles (did you mention that the Rumpler as the best?)? As far as numbers produced, which aircraft had the largest numbers? Again I would like to know if any of the types served together, similar to the German scout situation where a Fokker Dr.I could be found serving along side an Albatros D.Va and Pfalz D.IIIa. Any ideas in this regard? I for some reason got the idea from reading combat reports that the Albatros two-seaters were by far the most popular/often encountered. Does my assumption have any credence, or was this another case of mis-identification during the heat of battle?

regards

[JG1Schorner]

First, I must admit that alot of what I "know" comes from what others have told me. In doing the WFP patch I relied heavily on others for alot of the information, Shredward and Steve Fabert in particular. What's left comes from digging around the net (I saw it on the internet so it must be true ).

I do not have good info on production numbers. My impression is that the Aviatik was the most prevelent type early on and the Alb C.III a bit later in 1916. maybe somebody will come along with precise numbers.

The Rumpler was generally the preferred aircraft as it was relatively fast, had very good high altitude performance, was very handy, and was generally the plane most likely to keep the crew out of trouble.

The Albatros C.III was a solid, sturdy aircraft. With a forward and rear firing MG it was far from helpless in 1916.

The Aviatik C.I and LVG C.I were 1915 designs that had a MG slapped on as an afterthought. Like many early war designs they were built with stable flying characteristics and not combat in mind, so IMHO they need to be cut a bit of slack in this comparison. I am not aware of much to differentiate them performance wise. I believe that the Aviatik had the observer in the front seat which limited his field of fire. One thing IMHO the Germans deserve credit for is getting these types out of service before too many aircrew were lost in them, unlike the British and French who insisted on flying Quirks and Farmans into 1917.

Hi JG1Schorner,

Thanks again for the added information and observations, they are a big help. Good luck with your flight sim creations.

regards