×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWI AIRCRAFT
Aviation / Aerospace

LVG C.V


Reconnaissance / Fighter Biplane Aircraft [ 1917 ]



The LVG C.V was widely distributed across the West Front beginning in 1917.



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

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The LVG C.V was a general-purpose, two-seat reconnaissance aircraft utilized by the German air service in World War 1. Despite her reconnaissance classification, the C.V proved a heady fighter in her own right, going on to become one of the best German fighter aircraft of the war. Her combination of two crew, offensive/defensive armament and excellent performance allowed her to go beyond her reconnaissance origins and evolve into a lethal fighter platform. She achieved first flight in 1917 and entered German service the same year, ultimately being produced and fielded in number along the Western Front from 1917 to 1918. Manufacturing was handled by Luft Verkehrs Gesellschaft (aka "LVG").

Design of the C.V was highly conventional and characterized by her biplane wing assemblies. Each unstaggered wing featured two bays and were of equal span, supported by parallel struts. The lower assembly connected at the fuselage underside while the upper assembly was supported onto the topside fuselage by way of a strut network located ahead of the pilot. Of note to the wings were the aerodynamic balances affixed to the ailerons and fitted to the upper wing assemblies. Construction consisted of a covered semi-monocoque frame. Accommodations were for two - a pilot and the observer/rear gunner - seated in tandem, open-air cockpits consistent with the times, though supplying unparalleled views obstructed only by the aircraft structure itself. The rear gunner held the better view of the critical "six" area behind and to the sides of the aircraft, manning a trainable machine gun for self-defense. The engine was fitted to the extreme forward end of the fuselage and powered a two-bladed propeller. The radiator was clearly identifiable by its raised "horn". The forward fuselage maintained an aerodynamic appearance while the middle fuselage sported slab sides. The fuselage tapered off at the extreme end of the empennage. The tail system was made up of a single, rounded vertical fin with similar horizontal tailplanes attached to the fuselage frame. The undercarriage was fixed and made up of two large-wheeled main legs supported by struts under the forward fuselage. The rear was held off the ground by way of a simplistic tailskid and came into play when the aircraft was at rest.

Power was supplied from a single Benz Bz.IV series engine of 200 horsepower. This allowed the aircraft to achieve a maximum speed of approximately 106 miles per hour with a service ceiling equal to 21,300 feet while maintaining a rate-of-climb around 1,100 feet per minute. Mind you that these statistics were quite excellent for World War 1 standards, putting the C.V at the top end of the fighter spectrum. Endurance from the Benz powerplant was listed at about 3 hours and a half, keeping the bird "in the fight" longer than most.

Primary armament centered around a single fixed, forward-firing 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns, these controlled by the pilot and aimed by positioning his entire aircraft at a target. The rear observer/gunner manned a single trainable 7.92mm Parabellum MG14 series machine gun, primarily covering the rearward areas of the aircraft. When called upon to strike at ground targets of note, the C.V could make use of up to 90lbs to 254lbs (sources seem to vary wildly) of bombs held externally. As the C.V was a reconnaissance platform first, the limited use of bombs was negligible.

The Polish Army utilized some 150 captured examples after the war. Several examples (collectively numbering thirty in all) were distributed for service with the likes of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Russian Empire. Other post-war examples found a "second-life" as civilian movers.

By 1918, the last year of World War 1, the C.V was joined by the improved C.VI model - a version alone produced in 1,000 examples.©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



Luftverkehrsgesellschaft GmbH (LVG) - Germany
Manufacturer(s)
Estonia; German Empire; Latvia; Lithuania; Poland; Imperial Russia
Operators National flag of Estonia National flag of the German Empire National flag of Latvia National flag of Lithuania National flag of Poland National flag of Russia
1917
Service Year
Imperial Germany
National Origin
Retired
Project Status
2
Crew
1,500
Units


AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
TRANSPORT
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.
COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Used in roles serving the commercial aviation market, ferrying both passengers and goods over range.
INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.


26.5 ft
(8.07 meters)
Length
44.6 ft
(13.60 meters)
Width/Span
11.0 ft
(3.36 meters)
Height
2,224 lb
(1,009 kilograms)
Empty Weight
3,318 lb
(1,505 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+1,093 lb
(+496 kg)
Weight Difference


1 x Benz Bz.IV water-cooled inline engine developing 200 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion
106 mph
(170 kph | 92 knots)
Max Speed
21,325 ft
(6,500 m | 4 miles)
Ceiling
314 miles
(506 km | 273 nm)
Range
1,100 ft/min
(335 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


STANDARD:
1 x 7.92mm LMG 08/15 fixed, forward-firing machine gun.
1 x 7.92mm Parabellum MG14 on trainable mounting in rear cockpit.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 90lb of conventional drop bombs.


2
Hardpoints


C.V - Base Production Model Designation
C.VI - Improved Version; 1,000 examples produced


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 Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
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 Special Forces
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

Images



1 / 1
Image of the LVG C.V
Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

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; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)