"The Junkers CL.I could have been so much more had it not been for production difficulties encountered in war time Germany."
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Junkers CL.I Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter.
1 x Mercedes D.IIIa 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine developing 180 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose. Propulsion
100 mph 161 kph | 87 kts Max Speed
19,685 ft 6,000 m | 4 miles Service Ceiling
Structure The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Junkers CL.I Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter.
2 (MANNED) Crew
25.9 ft 7.90 m O/A Length
39.5 ft (12.04 m) O/A Width
8.7 ft (2.65 m) O/A Height
2,315 lb (1,050 kg) Empty Weight
Armament Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Junkers CL.I Single-Seat Monoplane Fighter .
STANDARD:
2 x 7.92mm machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mounts on fuselage.
1 x 7.92mm machine gun on trainable mounting in rear cockpit.
OPTIONAL:
Antipersonnel Grenade Dispensers.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the Junkers CL.I family line.
The Junkers CL.I was something of a break-through aircraft design for its time, appearing during the latter stages of World War 1 (1914-1918). Due to production difficulties in war-torn Germany, the aircraft saw only limited manufacture numbering less than 50 units. Junkers approached the CL.1 with a largely metal design coupled to a low-wing assembly - this at a time when manufacturers favored fabric-over-wood aircraft utilizing an upper and lower wing assembly (biplane).
Development of the CL.1 was formed along the lines of the preceding all-metal designs in the Junkers D.I and the J.I. The CL.1 was given a standard operating crew of two seated in tandem with the pilot in the forward open-air cockpit and his gunner/observer in the rear cockpit. The engine was mounted at the front in the usual way with a single-finned tail unit at the rear. Power was served from a Mercedes D.IIIa series 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled, inline engine developing 180 horsepower. This, coupled to the airframe design, provided a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour with a service ceiling reaching 19,600 feet. The aircraft featured an armament suite of 3 x 7.92mm machine guns - two fixed, forward-firing and the third on a trainable mount in the rear cockpit - as standard along with provision for antipersonnel grenade dispensers mounted under the fuselage.
Despite the revolutionary design, German factories were heavily experienced in the rapid construction of fabric-over-wood aircraft and found the metal design of the CL.1 difficult to incorporate into well-accepted practices. The promising CL.I therefore foundered and held little impact by war's end. Despite the CL.1's failed showing, the concept of all-metal construction in aircraft grew into the norm heading into the interwar years. Indeed, all-metal aircraft were the norm during World War 2, making fabric-over-wood mounts largely obsolete.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Junkers CL.I. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.
Total Production: 47 Units Contractor(s): Junkers - Germany
[ German Empire ]
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