LFG Roland C.II
LFG Roland C.II | |
---|---|
Role | Reconnaissance Aircraft |
Manufacturer | Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft G.m.b.H. |
Designer | Dipl. Ing. Tantzen |
First flight | 1915 |
Introduction | 1916 |
Primary user | Luftstreitkräfte |
Number built | 400 |
The LFG Roland C.II, usually known as the Walfisch (Whale), was an advanced German reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was manufactured by Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft G.m.b.H.
Characteristics
The C.II had much lower drag than comparable aircraft of its time. It featured a
The C.II was powered by a single 160 hp (120 kW)
Operational history
The C.II entered service in the spring of 1916. Operationally, handling was reported as difficult but performance was relatively good. Due to the crew positions with eyes above the upper wing, upward visibility was excellent, but downward visibility was poor. It was also used in a fighter escort role and had a crew of two, pilot and observer/gunner.
Because of its speed, when it was first introduced, few enemy aircraft could catch it level flight. A notable exception was the Nieuport 17 C.1[3][circular reference], which was introduced at almost the same time, and which was several miles per hour faster. Because of the lack of downward visibility, it was best attacked by diving below and coming up at it.[2]
Albert Ball, whose first victim was a C.II, said in the latter half of 1916 that it was "the best German machine now".
Variants
- C.II : Two-seat reconnaissance, escort fighter biplane.
- C.IIa : Generally similar to the Roland C.II, but fitted with revised and reinforced wingtips and larger vertical stabilizer.
- C.III : Development with two bay wings and a 200 hp (149 kW) Benz Bz.IV 6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine.
Operators
Specifications (C.II)
Data from German Aircraft of the First World War [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 7.7 m (25 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
- Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 26 m2 (280 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 764 kg (1,684 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,284 kg (2,831 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 165 km/h (103 mph, 89 kn)
- Endurance: 4-5 hours dependent on fuel load
- Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
- Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 12 minutes
Armament
- Guns:
- 1x 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG14machine gun on a ring mounting in rear cockpit,
- 1x forward-firing synchronized 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Maschinengewehr 08"Spandau" machine gun
- 1x 7.92 mm (0.312 in)
- Bombs:
- 4x 12.5 kg (28 lb) bombs carried under the fuselage.
Comparable aircraft
References
- ^ Wagner, R.; Nowarra, H. (1971). German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York: Doubleday. pp. 75–76.
- ^ a b Grosz, Peter M. (1970). Profile #163 : The Roland C.II. Leatherhead: Profile Publications.
- ^ Nieuport 17#Specifications (Nieuport 17 C.1)
- ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
Bibliography
- Abbott, Dan S. & Grosz, Peter M. (1977). "The Benighted Rolands". Air Enthusiast (3): 38–48. ISSN 0143-5450.
Further reading
- Munson, Kenneth (April 2004). Bombers : patrol and reconnaissance aircraft 1914-1919. Bounty Books. ISBN 0-7537-0918-X.
- Munson, Kenneth (1967). Aircraft Of World War I. London: Ian Allan. p. 71.