AEG J.I
AEG J.I | |
---|---|
Role | Armoured ground attack aircraft |
National origin | Germany |
Manufacturer | AEG
|
Primary user | Luftstreitkräfte |
Produced | 1917–1918[1] |
Number built | 609[2] |
Developed from | AEG C.IV |
The AEG J.I was a German
The J.I was developed as an interim ground attack aircraft, being redesigned from the C.IV to feature armour plating and the more powerful
An improved model, the J.II, was produced in 1918 during the closing months of the war; it featured aerodynamic improvements and an extended fuselage. Around 609 aircraft, both J.Is and J.IIs, had been produced by the enactment of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the conflict. The type saw limited use following the war. Multiple J.IIs served the first sustained daily passenger aeroplane service in the world, between the German cities of Berlin and Weimar, launched by Deutsche Luft-Reederei on 5 February 1919.
Design and development
During 1917, Germany undertook the formation and equipping of several
In terms of its basic configuration, the J.I was a twin-seat single-engined tractor biplane. Equipped with a conventional landing gear with a tail skid, it had steel tube structure and was mainly covered with
Both the pilot and gunner were seated in an open tandem cockpit that was protected with armour. The gunner was provisioned with three weapons, including a pair of 7.92 mm (.312 in)
While the prototype J.I had been equipped with an identical wing to that of the C.IV, it was determined that the greater weight of the aircraft necessitated greater lateral control; this was resolved with minimal redesign work to the overall wing via the addition of
During 1918, a refined version of the J.I, designated J.II, was developed.[5] While this aircraft differed little in terms of structure from the J.I, it featured considerable changes in terms of its aerodynamics. All of the flight control surfaces, other than the lower ailerons, were redesigned; the incorporation of overhanging horn balances made the two models visually distinct from one another.[6] Another visible change was the extension of the rear fuselage; other changes included the fitting of an enlarged fin to improve directional stability and a repositioned aileron link strut.[2]
By the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918, roughly 609 aircraft, both J.Is and J.IIs, had been produced.[3]
The type saw use for several years following the end of the conflict. Multiple J.IIs served the first sustained daily passenger aeroplane service in the world, between the German cities of Berlin and Weimar, flown by Deutsche Luft-Reederei. This route began on 5 February 1919. Early commercial J.IIs retained open cockpits, but modified versions with enclosed cabins for the two passengers were quickly produced and replaced them.[7]
Variants
- AEG J.I
- An armoured version of the AEG C.IV fitted with downward pointing machine guns in the floor of the rear cockpit for ground strafing and a defensive hand-aimed machine-gun in the observers cockpit.[3]
- AEG J.Ia
- The J.Ia version featured aileron controls on the lower wings, in addition to the upper.[8]
- AEG J.II
- Structurally similar to the J.I, outfitted with ailerons aerodynamically balanced by large horn extensions at the wing-tips, increased fin area to improve directional stability and a re-located aileron link strut.[6]
Operators
Specifications (AEG J.I)
Data from German Aircraft of the First World War[9]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 13.46 m (44 ft 2 in)
- Height: 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 33.18 m2 (357.1 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,455 kg (3,208 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz IVsix-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 149 kW (200 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)
- Range: 375 km (233 mi, 202 nmi)
- Endurance: 2.5hr
- Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)
- Rate of climb: 2.78 m/s (547 ft/min)
- Time to altitude: 1,000m in six minutes
Armament
- Guns: * up to 6 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) fixed, downwards-firing LMG 08/15 machine guns (standard fit of 2)
- 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14in rear cockpit
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ^ Grey and Thetford 1962, pp. 9-10.
- ^ a b Grey and Thetford 1962, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d e f g Grey and Thetford 1962, p. 9.
- ^ Grey and Thetford 1962, p. 9, 12.
- ^ a b c Grey and Thetford 1962, p. 10.
- ^ a b Grey and Thetford 1962, pp. 10-11.
- ISBN 0-517-69186-8.
- ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
- ^ Grey and Thetford 1962, pp. 11-12.
Bibliography
- Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London, UK: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
- Herris, Jack (2012). German Armored Warplanes of WWI: A Centennial Perspective of Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 4. Charleston, South Carolina, US: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-11-7.
- Probably Villeselve, France. 19 April 1918. The tangled wreckage of a crashed AEG J I aircraft of a German squadron, probably Bayrische Flieger Abteilung 287 (Bavarian Flying Section 287), in a field. Leutnant Major Vizefeldwebel Benz was killed in this crash.