Otto B1 ?

alex_revell · 1 February 2005, 02:40 AM

A friend, with no interest in WW1 aviation, recently sent me this interesting photo. The aeroplane looks like an Otto B1 but the only photo in Gray and Thetford has no information about the type, only '1914'. By the groundvrew and their bombs, this obviously was in service. Any views, anyone.
Alex

Cigogne · 1 February 2005, 06:47 AM

Looks more like an LVG B.I... the low flat contours of the nose/cowling panels look very LVGish to me.

Cigogne

1 February 2005, 07:07 AM

I dunno, I'm betting on a B-type Albatros, due to the narrow first bay, straight wings and the centre mount tank under the upper mainplane.

There's so many variations on these things, both from the factory and field mods, it's hard to tell the planes apart. Many looked fairly similar to begin with.

Particularly harsh is that gorgeous exhaust stack design on this one.

F=MA

Rod_Filan · 1 February 2005, 06:01 PM

I agree with Cigogne. LVG.

Although I would ID it as an LVG C.I

VBR
Rod

Dan_San_Abbott · 1 February 2005, 06:16 PM

AlexRevell:
You are correct Cigogne, it is a LVG B.I. Early Otto aircraft were pushers.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

1 February 2005, 08:21 PM

Sorry Dan, but I ain't agreeing on this one just yet. The LVG B1 often has prominent cabane strutting angling outward and lacks the big tank atop the cylinders. The Alb has pronouced inward strutting in the same location and this tank is present. The photo shows both, so, I still say its an Albatros. I could be wrong but, I'm really looking at the thing.

The fuse shape in the nose isn't a good indicator since many are similar, being built around the same or similar engines.

What is truly perverse, as I said before, is the staggering variation in design and execution of these planes. This is definetely an era before real mass production and stadndardisation. I've seen pix of so many different variations of the same planes in WW1, it's amazing we can id them at all.

KC

Rod_Filan · 2 February 2005, 01:25 AM

I concede to Cig and Dan-San. B.I it is. Submit to the dark side F=MA . Resistance is futile.

2 February 2005, 06:25 AM

No!!!! I'll never join you!!!!!

http://wso.williams.edu/~rfoxwell/st...ics/Vader4.jpg

F=MA

EricGoedkoop · 2 February 2005, 07:01 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, boys (German two-seaters are not my strong suit), but didn't the LVG B-types have a slightly swept wing? The top wing in Alex's photo doesn't look swept to me.

alex_revell · 2 February 2005, 07:58 AM

I agree that there are similarities with the LVG B1, but if you look at the photo of the Otto B 1 on page 501 on Gray and Thetford's German Aircraft of the First World War, you'll see that it meets all the aspects of the aeroplane in the photo, even to the position of the national markings in relation to the struts. And especially to the downward exhaust.