Aviatik C.I

Reconnaissance Biplane Aircraft [ 1915 ]

The German Aviatik C.I was designed from the outset with military use in mind, sporting a single 7.92mm Parabellum machine gun for self-defense.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/31/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Aviatik (Automobil und Aviatikwerke) of Germany was already involved in aircraft designs from the outset of the war, graduating from the copying of French designs to producing their own new design in the Aviatik B.I. Following that, Aviatik produced their first full military-ready design in the Aviatik C.I series, a biplane reconnaissance aircraft that would serve effectively along the Front.

The C.I was a single-engine, twin-seat biplane with a Mercedes D.II 6-cylinder engine producing upwards of 120 horsepower and driving a two-blade propeller. The system followed suit with the previous B.I in that the observer was seated in the front - just behind the engine - and the pilot was at rear. This time, the forward observer was afforded a single 7.92mm Parabellum machine gun on a flexible mounting. Though in theory, this seemed to improve upon the previous B.I system, it was soon found that the field of fire for the observer was quite restricted and the rearward seating position of the pilot was ill-suited when compared to other aircraft types coming out at the time. As such, later examples of the C.I began seating the observer (with gun) to the rear and the pilot forward, but still aft of the engine. This provided the pilot a better field of vision forwards and out of the cockpit while expanding the field of fire for the rear observer. This new arrangement produced the designation of "C.Ia".

In the end, the C.Ia performed admirably well throughout its frontline tenure, undertaking a host of reconnaissance sorties. The C.I series as a whole would be replaced by the improved C.II, which would sport an even more powerful engine, but this time showcasing the Benz brand as opposed to the Mercedes found in other Aviatik models.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1915

Origin

Imperial Germany

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

2

Production

500
UNITS

Automobil und Aviatikwerke - Imperial Germany

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

National flag of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Austria-Hungary; German Empire; Romania; Yugoslavia

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Length

26.0 ft
(7.92 m)

Width/Span

41.0 ft
(12.50 m)

Height

9.7 ft
(2.95 m)

Empty Wgt

1,653 lb
(750 kg)

MTOW

2,954 lb
(1,340 kg)

Wgt Diff

+1,301 lb
(+590 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Aviatik C.I production variant)

Installed: 1 x Mercedes D.II 6-cylinder inline engine developing 120 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.

Max Speed

88 mph
(142 kph | 77 kts)

Ceiling

11,483 ft
(3,500 m | 2 mi)

Range

261 mi
(420 km | 778 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

255 ft/min
(78 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Aviatik C.I production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD:
1 x 7.92mm Parabellum machine gun in flexible mounting in rear cockpit.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

C.I - Base Production Model Series Designation; oberserver with trainable machine gun mounting placed in the front cockpit with pilot to the rear.

C.Ia - Observer with machine gun mounting moved to rear cockpit seating area with pilot moved to front.

C.II - More powerful Benz engine fitted to the series.

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