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Albatros C.I


Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft


Imperial Germany | 1915



"The German Albatros C.I was a widely-used reconnaissance aircraft in World War One."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Albatros C.I Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft.
1 x Mercedes D.III liquid-cooled inline engine developing 160 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion
87 mph
140 kph | 76 kts
Max Speed
9,843 ft
3,000 m | 2 miles
Service Ceiling
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Albatros C.I Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft.
2
(MANNED)
Crew
25.8 ft
7.85 m
O/A Length
42.3 ft
(12.90 m)
O/A Width
10.3 ft
(3.14 m)
O/A Height
2,624 lb
(1,190 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Albatros C.I Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft .
STANDARD:
1 x 7.92mm MG14 Parabellum machine gun in rear gunner's position.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Albatros C.I family line.
C.I - Initial C-series model; based on the B.II unarmed reconnaissance biplane; 1 x 7.5mm machine gun in rear gunner position; Mercedes D.III engine delivering 160hp.
C.Ia - Improved C.I model with Argus As III series engine.
C.Ib - Dual-Control Trainer Variant
C.I-V - Single Experimental Prototype Model
C.III - Derived from the B.III reconaaissance biplane; 1 or 2 x 7.5mm machine guns in rear gunner position; Mercedes D.III engine delivering 160hp.
C.V - Developed from the C.III; 2 x 7.5mm machine guns in rear gunner position; Mercedes D.IV 8-cylinder engine delivering 220hp; refined fuselage design.
C.VII - Replacement Model beginning in mid-1916 for the underperforming C.V model.
C.X - Improved over the C.V design; fitted with Mercedes D.IVa engine delivering 260hp; refined fuselage design.
C.XII - Regarded as best of the C-series; in service through the end of the war; refined fuselage design.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Albatros C.I series of aircraft was the next evolution in the brand's reconnaissance aircraft line. Stemming from the development of the production Albatros B.II, the C.I shared many of the common characteristics in the initial design including the biplane wing assembly and basic fuselage design. Where it differed from the B.II, however, was in crew layout, the implementation of self-defense armament and improved performance capabilities. The C.I would become the aircraft on which many a German ace would be introduced to aerial combat and hone his skills on before graduating to the new breed of true fighter.

The C.I, like the B.II before it, featured crew accommodations for two personnel in the form of one pilot and a rear "observer" that doubled as a gunner. Unlike the B.II, the C.I switched the positions of the pilot and observer to a more traditional layout, putting the pilot forward just behind the engine, and the observer to the rear. This allowed the pilot a more traditional viewpoint from the front of his machine while allowing the rear observer/gunner a greater area to which train his gun in for self-defense. Armament consisted of a single 7.5mm Parabellum machine gun in the rear gunner area. Beyond that, the system was a reconnaissance aircraft not built for straight up engagements, though the C.I did find its fair share of success in that field.

The Albatros C.I offered up performance improvements thanks to the Mercedes D.III liquid-cooled inline engine. Performance increased the maximum speed from the B.II's 66 miles per hour to the C.I's 87 miles per hour. The endurance of the newer C.I did suffer quite a bit, however, from 4 hours of flightier in the B.I to just 2 hours of flight time in the C.I. Nevertheless, the powerplant was one of the best and most powerful available when compared to its contemporaries and handling was reported as good to excellent, making for a lethal weapon despite these shortcomings.

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

Total Production: 500 Units

Contractor(s): Albatros Flugzeugwerke - Imperial Germany
National flag of Bulgaria National flag of the German Empire National flag of Lithuania National flag of Poland National flag of Sweden National flag of Turkey

[ Bulgaria; German Empire; Lithuania; Poland; Sweden; Turkey ]
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Image of the Albatros C.I
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Going Further...
The Albatros C.I Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft appears in the following collections:
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