What type of German aircraft

Toxisch · 16 December 2009, 10:47 PM

Good morning,

I am trying to sort out which aircraft the Aviation Militaire Belge received as war payment from Germany in 1918/1919. Most of the hundreds of aircraft were gathered at Evere airfield near Brussels and my aim is to make an article about this Walhalla for German WWI enthusiasts. I now have an official list of what the German delivered but the details are far from complete and do not take into account the many aircraft recuperated on German airfields in Belgium. In any case sources mention as many as 700 machines at Evere. Studying pictures of these aircraft I came across a photograph on which one can see two wingless bombers which at first glance I took for Gotha's, except that they have tractor engines. (See in the centre of the annexed picture). Can someone help me out with the exact type of these machines?

Best regards,

Daniel
Belgian Aviation History Association

YavorD · 16 December 2009, 11:22 PM

Thank you for sharing the picture, Toxisch!
I am not able to provide exact identification but considering the fuselage proportions and the "box-like" biplane tail one should look for late variant of AEG G-family, contemporary of AEG G.IVk and AEG G.V.
Regards,
Yavor

Toxisch · 17 December 2009, 01:06 AM

Hi Yavor,

Thanks to your information I think I start to close in to the AEG G.IVK (Kanone) which was dealt with on the Drome in the past; look here: AEG G.IVk (Kanoe)
If this is correct (hope someone can confirm this) we might have a very rare bird on hand.
Thanks for your help.

Daniel
Belgian Aviation History Association

YavorD · 17 December 2009, 01:10 AM

Hi Daniel,
There is no "Kanone" in the nose, however. A kind of crew or unit markings is evident, though.
Regards,
Yavor

Toxisch · 17 December 2009, 01:37 AM

Hi,

I just discovered a nother picture of a third aircraft of this type at Evere which gives a rear view.

Best regards,

Daniel
Belgian Aviation History Association

Toxisch · 17 December 2009, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YavorD

Hi Daniel,
There is no "Kanone" in the nose, however. A kind of crew or unit markings is evident, though.
Regards,
Yavor

Yavor,

Indeed you get the impression that the noses are of a different colour shade which could indicate a modification of some kind.
On my original you can read "Köningsberg" as the marking on the fuelage side.

Regards,

Daniel
Belgian Aviation History Association

YavorD · 17 December 2009, 02:17 AM

The tail, shown to advantage on the second picture, is probably close to G.IVk than "G.IVb-long" version.
Regards,
Yavor

P.S. An attempt to identify the engine may provide another clue.

Aquilius · 17 December 2009, 04:47 AM

Hi Boys,

I think the AEG trail is the right one. Just I would vote for the AEG G.V.

I believe there were only five G.IVk ordered of which 4 were stil in good condition after the war and they were handed over to the allies, but it's not known to where...

But these Becker-canon armed machines had a different nose and I don't think we are looking at one here.

I just noticed, my picture has a wing cut-out. Was this missing with the G.V?

Thanks a lot for sharing the pics here

Cheers

Aquilius

Flamingo · 17 December 2009, 05:07 AM

Hi Toxisch

very interesting pictures!

Those two bombers in the center are certainly late AEGs as Yavor stated.

In the top row are four Friedrichshafen bombers, at least three with the late box tail.

#8 is an armoured Alb J.I and to the left of it a Ju J.I and in front of the Junkers is an AEG J.II.

The center section with the two cut-outs and gun ring in the left foreground is from a Halb Cl.II or IV and at the extreme right is a DFW C.V.

Right to the DFW is a fuselage with a light rectangle in the narrow center section, this should be a LVG C.VI.

"WM" in the second picture is a Gotha bomber, probably a G.V.

Thanks for posting these pictures!

Toxisch · 17 December 2009, 06:31 AM

Hi Flamingo,

You seem to be an ace in recognising German WWI aircraft. Being a Belgian specialist my knowledge is rather limited in this field.
I have placed the first picture, non-cropped and at a large size on my website so that you can have a better look at the aircraft in storage.

Link: Evere 1919

On my original I can read the following on the bombers in the background from left to right: "1421", "Go GVb 926", "Fdh. GIII B (Oeim) (?) 1005/18", Fdh. GIII B (Oeim)(?) 1008/18, on the two last bombers the fabric has been removed. The lower row of aircraft seems to start with the tail of yet another AEG (fourth) with next to it another Gotha fuselage with an inscription I can't decipher (Rolins ....) but with serial Go G.Vb 920. The Junkers J.1 you identified has a serial of which the two last numbers are ..81/18 or /17. The other J.1 in between the two Belgian Breguet XIV's could be 579/18 or 17.

If the members of this forum are interested, I can post some other large size pictures for recognition via my website of this enormous graveyard.

Best regards,

Daniel
Belgian Aviation History Association