Aviation / Aerospace

DFW C.V

Biplane Reconnaissance Aircraft [ 1916 ]

The German DFV C.V biplane proved its value from 1916 up until the early months of 1918 - the last year of the Great War.

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

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

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The DFW C.V series of biplane aircraft was of German design in World War 1. The system was particularly noted for its good handling characteristics, power derived from its Benz engine and strong dogfighting capabilities even when matched against the best aircraft fielded by the West. Primarily fielded as a reconnaissance aircraft the C.V was in actuality a multipurpose platform capable of handling most sorties of the day. In the end, the DFW C.V was produced to the tune of some 3,250 aircraft under the banners of DFW, Aviatik and Halberstadt among others.

Design of the DFW C.V was highly conventional for biplanes of the time. As the system saw service from 1916 through 1918, it is surprising to think of a World War 1 aircraft design lasting as long as the C.V did considering the day-to-day technological developments of the day. Seating was tandem with the pilot in front of the observer/gunner - which was in contrast to earlier reconnaissance types which fielded the observer/gunner in front of the pilot.

One of the more interesting design characteristics of the C.V (and other World War 1 aircraft) was the tall chimney-type exhaust tower for the engine. One can only think that such a structure did not endear itself well to pilots in a dogfight, considering the engine and chimney assembly sat in front of the pilot. Wings were of standard fair, though not staggered but the lower assembly shorter than the upper. Construction was mostly of wood covered in fabric though some metal was used in the tail section. Armament of the C.V consisted of a single 7.92mm Spandau type MG08/15 synchronized machine gun in a fixed-forward position operated by the pilot and a single 7.92mm Parabellum type MG14 machine gun in the rear cockpit operated by the observer/gunner. Up to 100 kilograms of external stores could also be utilized when in the strike role. It should be noted that the C.V utilized some impressive aerodynamic designing in its fuselage.

In combat, the C.V proved to be an ace-maker especially when coupled with the impressive Benz series engines. Speed and handling were reportedly quite good and made even better in experienced hands. The C.VI appeared in single example form as an improved C.V model but this never materialized into a full production run. The C.V went on to see life after the conflict for a time and ultimately saw service with Estonia, Finland, Poland and the Ottoman Empire to name a few.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1916

Origin

Imperial Germany

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

2

Production

3,250
UNITS

DFW / Aviatik / LVG / Schutte-Lanz / Halberstadt - German Empire

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Bulgaria; Estonia; Finland; German Empire; Netherlands; Ottoman Empire (Turkey) Poland

(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

25.8 ft
(7.87 m)

Width/Span

43.5 ft
(13.27 m)

Height

10.7 ft
(3.25 m)

MTOW

3,153 lb
(1,430 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base DFW C.V production variant)

Installed: 1 x Benz Bz IV 6-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line engine developing 200 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.

Max Speed

96 mph
(155 kph | 84 kts)

Ceiling

16,404 ft
(5,000 m | 3 mi)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base DFW C.V 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 Spandau MG08/15 machine gun in forward-fixed position firing through synchronized propeller system.
1 x 7.92mm Parabellum MG14 machine gun in rear cockpit

OPTIONAL:
100 kg of externally-carried conventional drop bombs.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

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

Hardpoint Mountings: 4

C.V - Base Series Designation; fitted with either Conrad C.III or Benz Bz.IV engines.

C.VI - Further development of the C.V, though only a single example was produced.

F 37 - Three limited production models; later fitted with BMW IV engines.

P 1 - Passenger Conversion Model with enclosed canopy and seating for three passengers.

Uzunov-1 - Bulgaria Production Copies Designation

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

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