Albatros C.III

Albatros C.III
Role	General purpose
Manufacturer	Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Introduction	1916
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte; Polish Air Force; Finnish Air Force; Bulgarian Air Force; Lithuanian Air Force

The Albatros C.III was a German two-seat general-purpose biplane of World War I, built by Albatros Flugzeugwerke. The C.III was a refined version of the successful Albatros C.I and was eventually produced in greater numbers than any other C-type Albatros. It was used in a wide variety of roles including observation, photo-reconnaissance, light-bombing and bomber escort. 18 C.IIIs were delivered in August 1916 to Bulgaria. They were destroyed in 1920 in accordance with the clauses of the Peace Treaty.[1]

Like its predecessor, the C.III was a popular aircraft with rugged construction and viceless handling. The most prominent difference between the two was the revised tail, the C.III having a lower, rounded tail compared to the large, triangular tail of the C.I, granting the C.III greater agility. The power plant was either a 110 kW (150 hp) Benz Bz. III or a 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III inline engine and, like numerous other two-seaters of the war (such as the British Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8) the cylinder head and exhaust manifold protruded above the front fuselage, limiting the pilot's forward visibility.

The observer, who occupied the rear cockpit, was armed with 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun. Some C.III aircraft were fitted with interrupter gear and a single forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine gun. The C.III could also carry a bomb load of up to 90 kg (200 lb) in a small internal bomb bay.

Between 1926 and 1927, two Mercedes D.III engined copies were built from saved parts and components of the destroyed aircraft by the Bulgarian state aircraft workshops as the DAR 2 for use as trainers.^[1]^[2]

Operators

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force

Finland

Finnish Air Force

German Empire

Luftstreitkrafte

Latvia

Latvian Air Force

Lithuania

Lithuanian Air Force

Poland

Polish Air Force

Turkey

Ottoman Air Force

Specifications (C.III)

Data from ^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: two

Performance

Endurance: 4 hours

Armament

Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun in observer's cockpit and 1 × 7.92 mm MG 08 in the nose
Bombs: up to 200 lbs of bombs

References

^ Bernád 2001, pp. 24–25.
^ Y. MIlanov: The aviation in Bulgaria in the wars from 1912 to 1945, Vol.I. Sveti Gueorgui Pobedonosetz, Sofia, 1995 (in Bulgarian)
^ Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes, pg.28. London, England: Friedman/Fairfax Books , 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

Bernád, Dénes. "Balkan Birds: Thirty Five Years of Bulgarian Aircraft Production". Air Enthusiast (94, July/August 2001). Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing: 18–30. ISSN 0143-5450. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)

External links

Media related to Albatros C.III at Wikimedia Commons

[Bernad_p24-5-1] Bernád 2001, pp. 24–25.

[2] Y. MIlanov: The aviation in Bulgaria in the wars from 1912 to 1945, Vol.I. Sveti Gueorgui Pobedonosetz, Sofia, 1995 (in Bulgarian)

[3] Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes, pg.28. London, England: Friedman/Fairfax Books , 2000. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e World War I aircraft of the Central Powers
Fighters	AEG D.I AEG Dr.I Albatros D.I Albatros D.II Albatros D.III Albatros D.V Aviatik D.I Aviatik C.VI Daimler L.6 Euler D.I Euler D.II Fokker D.I Fokker D.II Fokker D.III Fokker D.IV Fokker D.V Fokker D.VI Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VIII Fokker Dr.I Fokker E.I Fokker E.II Fokker E.III Fokker E.IV Fokker E.V Halberstadt D.II Hannover CL.II Hannover CL.III Hannover CL.IV Hannover CL.V Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Junkers D.I Kondor D.6 Kondor E.III Naglo D.II Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.XII Pfalz Dr.I Pfalz E.I Pfalz E.II Phönix D.I LFG Roland D.II LFG Roland D.VI Siemens-Schuckert D.I Siemens-Schuckert D.II Siemens-Schuckert D.III Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Zeppelin-Lindau D.I
Bombers and ground attack	AEG DJ.I AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG J.I AEG J.II AEG R.I Friedrichshafen G.II Friedrichshafen G.III Gotha G.I Gotha G.II Gotha G.III Gotha G.IV Gotha G.V Gotha GL.VII Gotha G.IX Hannover CL.II Junkers CL.I Junkers J.I Rumpler G.I Rumpler G.II Rumpler G.III Siemens-Schuckert L.I Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.IV Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Reconnaissance	AEG B.I AEG B.II AEG B.III AEG C.I AEG C.II AEG C.III AEG C.IV AEG C.V AEG C.VI AEG C.VII AEG C.VIII AGO C.I AGO C.II AGO C.III AGO C.IV AGO C.VII AGO C.VIII Albatros B.I Albatros B.II Albatros C.I Albatros C.III Albatros C.V Albatros C.VII Albatros C.IX Albatros C.X Albatros C.XII Aviatik B.I Aviatik B.II Aviatik C.I Aviatik C.VI DFW C.V LFG Roland C.II LVG B.I LVG C.II Rumpler C.I Rumpler C.IV Rumpler Taube
Trainers	Euler D.I
Prototypes	Albatros C.II Fokker V.1 Fokker V.2 Junkers J 1 Junkers J 2 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I

v t e Darzhavna Aeroplanna Rabotilnitsa (DAR) and Aeroplanes DAR aircraft
Darzhavna Aeroplanna Rabotilnitsa	DAR 1 DAR 2 DAR 3 DAR 4 DAR 5 DAR 6 DAR 7 DAR 8 DAR 9 DAR 10 DAR 11 DAR Uzunov
Aeroplanes DAR (Unrelated to first DAR)	DAR Albatros DAR Chuchuliga DAR Rilski Orel DAR Zdravka Toprakchiev DAR Zdravka Vekilski DAR 21 Vector II DAR-23 DAR 25 Impuls DAR Speedster DAR Solo

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Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

Operators

Specifications (C.III)

See also

References

External links