AEG G.IV

Tactical Medium Bomber Biplane Aircraft

Imperial Germany | 1916

"The AEG G.IV series of medium bombers were a German Air Service stalwart from 1916 through 1918."

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Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/07/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The German concern of AEG (Allgemeine Elektritzitats Gesellschaft) delivered another successful wartime product in its G.IV tactical medium bomber during World War 1 (1914-1918). The aircraft became an amalgam of the strengths featured in the earlier G.I, G.II, and G.III models by the company with the new platform produced from 1915 to 1918, the final year of the war. The aircraft was not available in suitable numbers until late-1916 but managed to see consistent service through to the end of the war.

As finalized, the G.IV model sported a conventional twin-engine layout with a biplane wing assembly and a three-man crew. The engines were held outboard of the fuselage within the upper and lower wing assemblies by way of struts. The crew sat inline across three individual open-air cockpits with collectively excellent views of the surrounding area. Two 7.92mm machine guns were fitted for local defense, one forward and one aft (the pilot seated in between the two), while up to 882lbs of externally-held ordnance could be carried.

Power was served through 2 x Mercedes D.IVa 6-cylinder, water-cooled inline piston engines developing 260 horsepower each. This provided a top speed of 103 miles per hour, a service ceiling of 14,760 feet, and a mission endurance window of about 4.5 hours.

The G.IV served the German air arm well during its years of wartime action though its potent offensive capacity was restricted some by inherently limited operational ranges. The G.IV designation marked basic tactical bombers while the G.IVg was a lengthened wing form with an additional bay added to each wing. The G.IVk was a special mission, ground attack model - five were completed - which added armoring and was armed with 2 x 20mm Becker cannons for the strafing role. G.IV bombers were also used in night time raids until growing Allied air superiority began to challenge the bomber, forcing it exclusively to operate in low-light hours and these missions produced mixed results.

The AEG G.V of May 1918 was intended as an improved G.IV form but the war ended before the aircraft could be pressed into service.

Nevertheless, German units equipped with the G.IV remembered a good, strong aircraft that was largely easy at the controls and a capable bombing platform. Aircrews found particular success against the Italians along the Southern Fronts and late-war use even included reconnaissance sorties where needed. The G.IV was not exported to German allies and only one managed to survive the last century - preserved at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum of Ottawa, Ontario.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the AEG G.IV Tactical Medium Bomber Biplane Aircraft.

2 x Mercedes D.IVa 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline piston engines developing 260 horsepower driving 2 x Two-bladed propeller units in puller arrangement.
Propulsion

103 mph
165 kph | 89 kts
Max Speed

14,764 ft
4,500 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

466 miles
750 km | 405 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the AEG G.IV Tactical Medium Bomber Biplane Aircraft.

3
(MANNED)
Crew

31.8 ft
9.70 m
O/A Length

60.4 ft
(18.40 m)
O/A Width

12.8 ft
(3.90 m)
O/A Height

5,291 lb
(2,400 kg)
Empty Weight

8,003 lb
(3,630 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the AEG G.IV Tactical Medium Bomber Biplane Aircraft provided across 4 hardpoints.

STANDARD:
1 x 7.92mm Spandau machine guns on trainable mounting in front cockpit.
1 x 7.92mm Spandau machine guns on trainable mounting in rear cockpit.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 880lb to 900lb of external conventional drop ordnance / conventional drop bombs.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the AEG G.IV family line.

G.IV - Production Model Series Designation; base tactical bomber form.

G.IVg - Increased span biplane wings with three-bay arrangement.

G.IVk - Limited production ground-attack aircraft; armoring added for low altitude protection; outfitted 20mm Becker cannon in dorsal position and 20mm Becker cannon under the nose.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the AEG G.IV. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 320 Units
Contractor(s): Allgemeine Elektritzitats Gesellschaft (AEG) - German Empire

[ German Empire ]

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Going Further...
The AEG G.IV Tactical Medium Bomber Biplane Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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