Rumpler C.I

C.I
Role	Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer	Rumpler Flugzeugwerke
Introduction	1915
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte; Poland
Produced	1915 - 1917
Variants	Rumpler 6B-1

Entering service in 1915, the Rumpler C.I, (company designation 5A 2),^[1] two-seater single-engine reconnaissance biplane, was one of the first German C-type aircraft, and also one of the longest serving in its class during World War I, being retired from the last front line units only in early 1918.

Design and development

The C.I was a successful design, and it was used on Western and Eastern Fronts, Macedonia, Salonika and Palestine. Early production examples were armed only with a single Parabellum machine gun on a Schneider ring mounting, but later aircraft had additionally a synchronised Spandau gun on the port side of fuselage. When used as a light bomber the C.I could also carry 100 kg of bombs.

In addition to the parent company, the Bayerische Rumpler-Werke, the Rumpler C.I was also produced by the Germania Flugzeug-Werke, the Märkische Flugzeug-Werke, the Hannoversche Waggonfabrik and the Albert Rinne Flugzeug-Werke. Variants included the C.Ia, which used a 180 hp Argus As.III engine instead of Mercedes D.III, the C.II, of which there's no evidence that any were actually built, 6B 1 single-seat floatplane fighter, and a Rumpler-built batch of C.Is intended for training which omitted the gun ring in the rear cockpit and was powered by a 150 hp Benz Bz.III.

It was this training role in which the C.I was latterly used, its friendly handling qualities making it suitable to be flown even by inexperienced pilots.

Operators

German Empire

Luftstreitkrafte

Latvia

Latvian Air Force - Postwar.

Lithuania

Lithuanian Air Force - Postwar. 3 aircraft (No. 2699, 4936, 8144) purchased in 1919.^[2]

Poland

Polish Air Force - Postwar.

Turkey

Ottoman Air Force

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Royal Yugoslav Air Force - Postwar.

Specifications (C.I)

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 12.15 m (39 ft 10 in)
Height: 3.06 m (10 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 35.7 m² (384 sq ft)
Empty weight: 793 kg (1,748 lb)
Gross weight: 1,333 kg (2,939 lb)
Fuel capacity: 240 L (63 US gal; 53 imp gal) in 200 L (53 US gal; 44 imp gal)main fuselage tank and 40 L (11 US gal; 8.8 imp gal) centre-section gravity tank
Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)

Alternative engines:

134 kW (180 hp) Argus As.III in C.Ia aircraft from Hannoversche Waggonfabrik
112 kW (150 hp) Benz Bz.III in Bayru-built C.Is, modified as trainers with dual control. (Bayru. - Bayerische Rumpler Werke)

Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 152 km/h (94 mph, 82 kn) at sea level
Endurance: 4 hours
Service ceiling: 5,050 m (16,570 ft)
Wing loading: 36 kg/m² (7.4 lb/sq ft)

Armament

References

^ ^a ^b Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. pp. 195–198. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
^ Ramoška, G. "Lietuvos Aviacijos Istorija 1919 - 1940 m. : Pirmieji karo aviacijos lėktuvai 1919-23 m." plienosparnai.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 12 December 2019.

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

Rumpler C.I

Design and development

Operators

Specifications (C.I)

See also

References

Further reading