Albatros C.VII

Albatros C.VII
Role	Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer	Albatros Flugzeugwerke
First flight	early 1916
Introduction	September or October 1916
Retired	1918
Primary user	Germany
Produced	1916
Number built	400
Developed from	Albatros C.V

The Albatros C.VII was a German military reconnaissance aircraft which saw service during World War I. It was a revised and re-engined development of the Albatros C.V, which had proved disappointing in service.

Design & development

The C.VII dispensed with the earlier C.V's unreliable Mercedes D.IV and also with the modifications that had been made to accommodate that powerplant, returning to the original C.V/16 design. Refinements were also made to the control surfaces, the overall effect was an aircraft with excellent handling qualities. The C.VII soon made up the bulk of German reconnaissance aircraft, with some 350 in service at one time.

Variants

C.VI
N.I: Night-bomber variant.
L 18: A single C.VII converted for civil use post WWI

Operators

German Empire

Luftstreitkräfte

Specifications (C.VII)

General characteristics

Crew: two, pilot and observer
Length: 8.70 m (28 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 12.78 m (41 ft 11 in)
Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 43.4 m² (467 sq ft)
Empty weight: 989 kg (2,180 lb)
Gross weight: 1,550 kg (3,420 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IV , 150 kW (200 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 170 km/h (110 mph, 96 kn)
Endurance: 31⁄3 hours
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,500 ft)
Rate of climb: 3.2 m/s (630 ft/min)

Armament

1 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) Spandau LMG 08/15 machine gun
1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun for observer
90 kg (200 lb) of bombs

References

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 52–53.
Grosz, Peter M. (1999). Albatros C.VII. Windsock Datafile 77. Berkhamsted: Albatros Publications. ISBN 9781902207186.

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