Wow,I didn't know that Z.Staakens had this!

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Forgive me for not knowing this (and I know plenty),but I never knew this was a feature on Zeppelin-Staakens,crews near the engine!WW1 aviation has its surprises!

[WarrenD]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

(and I know plenty)

Willi, my friend, your ego knows no bounds.

Warren

[Zoid]

Hi Willi,

That's a cool picture. I have never seen that before. It looks to be a Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV, but I'm not 100% sure.

Bill

[Willi Von Klugerman]

I hate to be those men when the engine catches on fire.Also the noise and engine fumes would be quite awful for them.They bloody better get paid well for doing that duty!

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Willi, my friend, your ego knows no bounds.

I mean I know plenty about WW1 aviation

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Hello Willy:
In the design specification for R Class flugzeug, it was a requirement that the engines could be serviced and worked during flight.
Sad skies,
Dan-San

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by Zoid

Hi Willi,

That's a cool picture. I have never seen that before. It looks to be a Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV, but I'm not 100% sure.

Bill

Identifying the different types of Zeppelin-Staaken Riesenflugzeuge (Giant Aircraft) can best be done be the positioning of the propellers and the engines. When you look at the the picture there is one tractor propeller (2-blade) in front of the fuselage. The other propellers cannot be seen but they are in the nacelles as pusher propellers (4-blade). The engine configuration is here one (1) in the front of the fuselage and 2 in tandem in the nacelles, making a total of 5 engines (Benz Bz.IV of 220 hp each, making a total of 1100 hp !).

So all things considering we are looking at the Zeppelin-Staaken R.IV 12/15.

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV was a far later model, also 5-engined but in a different configuration (1 tractor propeller in the front of the fuselage, 2 tractor propeller in the front of the nacelle and 2 pusher propellers at the back of the nacelles).

Do realize that in those times there was no sound damping or isolation, so the noise for the mechanics was literally deafening. In other pictures of the crew of Zeppelin-Staaken R.IV you can see a mechanics standing (or hanging) below the engine nacelle) with the machine flying at a few huindred meters high. Those were the fearless days No bracing can be seen though.

Cheers

Kees

[karrart]

It's R.IV 12/16. I painted this one for the cover of the Datafile a couple of years ago. While on a mission over London on the night of Feb10/11,1918, she banged into a balloon cable and came out of it almost unscathed and the only crew injury was a mechanic in one of the engine nacelles who slammed into a hot exhaust pipe.
Robert Karr
OLD BIRDS STAYING ALIVE - THE AVIATION ART OF ROBERT KARR
new blog dealy:
RK’s Pfalzhood - Pfalz, Halberstadt, Nieuport, CAMEL!!! » RK’s Ramblings

[Cigogne]

The man who knows the most on the R-types here is Hal Oele. He has interviewed more flight crew families and compiled more data from original sources than anyone on the subject.

[Komeck]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

I hate to be those men when the engine catches on fire.Also the noise and engine fumes would be quite awful for them.They bloody better get paid well for doing that duty!

That's why the door is open.

Fresh air