AEG C.IV

Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft

Imperial Germany | 1916

"The AEG-produced C-series of aircraft provided German frontline troops with a versatile offensive performer throughout the course of World War 1."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/25/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

The C.IV was a twin-seat biplane aircraft produced by the German firm of Allgemeine Elektrizitats-Gesellschaft (or simply "AEG"). The type was primarily fielded as reconnaissance platform from 1916 onwards though it also served as a bomber escort and saw service with the German air service through to the end of World War 1in 1918. The C.IV represented one of AEG's most successful wartime ventures with production exceeding some estimated 658 examples.

Outwardly, the C.IV was a conventional biplane through and through. The wings featured and equal span upper and lower wing assembly with double bays and parallel struts. The engine, a single Mercedes D.III water-cooled in-line type of 160 horsepower - was mounted in the extreme forward portion of the fuselage with the distinct radiator "horn" protruding the top. The engine powered a two-blade wooden propeller. The forward portion of the fuselage was contoured to an extent, producing a somewhat aerodynamic look while the rest of the body maintained a boxy-like appearance. Seating was for two, made up of the pilot and an observer in tandem, with the pilot in the forward cockpit behind a simplistic windscreen. The pilot had access to a single Spandau machine gun offset to his right side. The system was synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades without damaging them via an interrupter gear. The observer manned the rear cockpit, facing aft, and sat inside of a Schneider-type gun mount ring. His position was dominated by a Parabellum machine gun with adequate traverse to engage trailing enemy fighters. The undercarriage remained fixed, characterized by the two large main landing gears at front and a simple tail skid under the tail section. The empennage featured a sharp-angled vertical tail fin with low-mounted horizontal stabilizers.

Performance was good for the time with the C.IV yielding a top speed of 98 miles per hour with a service ceiling of 16,404 feet. Endurance from the Mercedes engine was reported to be roughly 3 hours of flight time.

The C.IV entered service with Germany in early 1916 during the spring season. By June of 1917, no fewer than 150 examples were operating along the Western Front alone. The mount proved a success for the time it was fielded and several models continued in service after the cessation of hostilities.

The C.IV was produced in two other lesser-known variants designated as C.IVa and C.IV.N. The C.IVa distinguished itself from the base model by fitting an Argus engine of 180 horsepower. The C.IV.N was the prototype form of a C.IV night bomber developed sometime in 1917. The night bomber form was powered by a single Benz Bz.III series engine of 180 horsepower and would have carried 6 x 110lb bombs externally.

Beyond service to Imperial Germany, the C.IV was also fielded by the Turkish Flying Corps and the Bulgarian Air Force as well as with Poland - the latter in the years following the war (at least 64 examples).

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the AEG C.IV Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Mercedes D.III water-cooled in-line engine developing 160 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

98 mph
158 kph | 85 kts
Max Speed

16,404 ft
5,000 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

280 miles
450 km | 243 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the AEG C.IV Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

23.5 ft
7.15 m
O/A Length

44.2 ft
(13.46 m)
O/A Width

11.0 ft
(3.35 m)
O/A Height

1,768 lb
(802 kg)
Empty Weight

2,469 lb
(1,120 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the AEG C.IV Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft .

STANDARD, FIXED:
2 x 7.92mm machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mountings.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 220lb of externally-held conventional drop bombs.

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

C.IV - Base Production Model; fitted with 1 x Mercedes D.III series water-cooled in-line engine of 160 horsepower; 1 x Spandau machine gun in forward cockpit; 1 x Parabellum machine gun in rear observer's cockpit.

C.IVa - Fitted with a 1 x Argus engine of 180 horsepower.

C.IV.N - Night Bomber Model with provision for 6 x 110lb bombs; fitted with 1 x Benz Bz.III engine; elongated wings.

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

Total Production: 658 Units
Contractor(s): Allgemeine Elektritzitats Gesellschaft (AEG) - Germany

[ Bulgaria; German Empire; Turkey; Poland ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 100mph

Lo: 50mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (98mph).

Graph Average of 75 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

658

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

1 / 2

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

2 / 2

Front left side view of an AEG C.IV at rest

❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

RECONNAISSANCE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Going Further...
The AEG C.IV Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2025 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks U.S. DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols US 5-Star Generals WW2 Weapons by Country

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes Global Firepower, WDMMA.org, WDMMW.org, and World War Next.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)