AEG G types

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AEG G types
AEG G.IV
Type: bomber
Design country:

German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire

Manufacturer:

AEG, aircraft construction department

First flight:

1915

Commissioning:

1915

Production time:

1915-1918

Number of pieces:

about 440

The AEG GI-V were bombers of the German air force from the First World War .

development

Shortly after the start of the war, the use of the expensive zeppelins for tactical bombing operations had proven to be a failure - numerous airships and their crews had been lost due to enemy anti-aircraft defenses and accidents - at the end of 1914 the inspection of the air force turned to the aircraft manufacturer, medium-sized bombers with a bomb load from about 250 to 300 kg for tactical bombing missions of the new German combat squadrons to be developed. The AEG company therefore began developing twin-engine bombers in 1915.

GI

The first machine in the G series was the KI (K = combat aircraft), later renamed the AEG GI ; a two-legged, tensioned double - decker in wood construction. The crew consisted of the pilot and the observer who was housed in a front cockpit and had a machine gun. The flight performance of the underpowered machine remained unsatisfactory. Due to the insufficient production capacity, only a few copies were built.

G.II u. G.III

The types G.II (first flight 1915) and G.III (first flight 1916) received wings with a larger span and in the rear fuselage a combat stand for an aviator as the third crew member, but above all more powerful 150-hp Benz Bz.III or 220 PS Mercedes D.IV engines. Nevertheless, even these versions remained too slow and heavy, and only the G.III could be delivered in larger numbers.

G.IV

The AEG G.IV was developed at the end of 1916 and only differed from the G.III externally in terms of modified ailerons, but through the installation of 260 hp Mercedes D.IV in-line engines, it became an aircraft that was really suitable for the front. The three to four crew positions could swap places within the fuselage made of tubular steel, plywood and fabric via passageways if necessary during the flight. The G.IV had eight bomb suspensions, the fuel tanks were placed in the middle of the fuselage between the cockpit and the rear fighting position. In addition to the extensive cockpit equipment with compass, inclinometer, indicator for reserve fuel, altimeter and speedometer, it had a bomb sighting device from Zeiss, which was new at the time . The Zeiss device was considered to be clearly superior to the Allied devices and was also suitable for night operations. The crews also received electrically heated aviator clothing and oxygen masks. In addition to a radio, some aircraft also had dual controls. In addition, the compact and stable aircraft had the best options for all-round defense against enemy fighters thanks to its two machine-gun positions and a hatch in the fuselage that was open towards the bottom. With 316 machines delivered, the AEG G.IV was one of the most-built large German aircraft in World War I.

G.IVK

The G.IVK (serial number 500/16) , conceived as a battle bomber, with a double-deck tail unit, armored fuselage and engine remained only a prototype , of which five aircraft were built and tested in 1918. The main weapon was a 20 mm Becker cannon , which was mounted in a rotating combat turret under the front pulpit to combat ground targets. In order to carry this heavy machine weapon, however, the wingspan of the aircraft had to be extended to more than nine meters. The G.IVB with three- stemmed wings with a larger span appeared in only one copy and served as a template for the AEG GV, which was built as a long-range bomber a year later .

GV

In the GV series, attempts were made to adjust the load capacity to that of the other two standard bombers Friedrichshafen G.III and Gotha GV by increasing the span . This made the tail lever arm quite short and a double-deck tail unit with two rudders in between was installed. The GV completed its maiden flight in May 1918, reached a flight time of more than six hours, but was no longer used.

  • AEG G.II of the BAO (carrier pigeon department Ostend), Olt. Georg Zeumer / Lt. Manfred von Richthofen , France, September 1915

  • AEG G.IV at the Canadian Air and Space Museum, Ottawa

  • AEG G.IV Canadian Air and Space Museum, Ottawa

  • AEG G.IV, confiscated by British occupation troops in Cologne-Bickendorf in 1919

  • AEG GV tail view

  • AEG GV side view with auxiliary rudders on the ailerons.

commitment

It was initially intended to be able to fight enemy aircraft as well as ground targets with the AEG "large combat aircraft". The later fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen , who flew on a G.II in the first German bomb squadron (camouflage designation " Brieftaubenabteilung Ostend ") in 1915 , described the cumbersome large fighter aircraft as completely unsuitable for attacking other aircraft - a fighter aircraft required maneuverability, speed and climbing ability. Used as a bomber, the GI was only able to carry a very low bomb load due to its insufficient engine performance.

Both the AEG GI and the AEG G.II (GZ2) that followed in July 1915 and the G.III , which went into service in the summer of 1916, suffered from insufficient engine performance; in October 1916 only about 20 G.III were operating on the Western Front and in Macedonia.

The following G.IV also did not come close to the range of the Gotha or Friedrichshafen long-range bombers equipped with the same engines, but was significantly faster and more agile. It proved to be very successful as a tactical bomber, on night flights or for infantry support. The aircraft was easy to control for the pilots and was considered robust and capable of fighting. The G.IV, mostly with gray-blue camouflage or a camouflage cover made of different colored hexagons, were used on the Western Front, in Macedonia , Italy and Romania and were used in the bombing of numerous large cities, including Saloniki , Bucharest , Verona , Venice , Padua and Paris and took part in the last bombing flight over London on May 19, 1918. For long-haul orders, however, the G.IV had to be equipped with additional tanks at the expense of the payload. The operations with the Combat Squadron of the Supreme Army Command (Kagohl) 4, whose squadron leader Captain Köhl was awarded the order Pour le Mérite for his daring but successful night bomb flights, became particularly well known . AEG G.IV flew battle and bomb attacks during the German spring offensive in 1918 , sometimes up to five missions in a row with short stopovers for refueling and ammunition.

In August 1918 there were still 50 machines in the front line, some of which flew until the end of the war.

The AEG GV , which was no longer deployed at the front, flew in 1919 alongside some AEG G.IVs as a six-seat passenger aircraft for the Deutsche Luft-Reederei .

The only surviving copy of an AEG G.IV and the only surviving large German aircraft from the First World War are exhibited in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa .

Technical specifications

Data AEG GI AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.IVb AEG G.IVk AEG GV
Construction year 1915 1916 1917 1918
Usage bomber Attack aircraft bomber
crew 3
length 8.65 m 11.00 m 9.20 m 9.85 m 9.70 m 10.80 m
span 16.00 m 20.00 18.44 m 24.00 m 18.44 m 27.30 m
height 3.46 m 3.89 m 4.50 m
Wing area 59 m² 67 m² 78.5 m² 67 m²
Empty mass 1160 kg 2000 kg 2400 kg 2453 kg 2400 kg 2700 kg
Takeoff mass 1960 kg 3075 kg 3630 kg 3700 kg 3630 kg 4800 kg
two water-cooled in- line engines Mercedes DI ; 105 hp each Benz Bz III ; 150 hp each Mercedes D IV ; 220 HP each
(8 cylinders) 		Mercedes D IVa ; 191 kW / 260 PS each
Top speed 125 km / h in NN 150 km / h in NN 165 km / h in NN 160 km / h 145 km / h
Service ceiling 2400 m 3500 m 4500 m 4000 m 6500 m
Range 450 km 700 km 750 km 1160 km
Flight duration 4:30 h 6 h
Ascent time to 800 m 10 min
Climbing time to 1000 m 6 min 5 min 6 min
Climbing time to 4000 m 40 min 34 min
Armament one 7.9 mm MG (500 rounds each) two 7.9 mm Parabellum MG 14 (500 cartridges each) a Parabellum MG 14 (500 cartridges each)
+ a 20 mm Becker cannon 		two Parabellum MG 14 (500 cartridges each)
Bomb load 200 kg 300 kg 400 kg Bombs 600 kg 800 kg
number of pieces 10 24 ~ 120 ~ 217 1 5 ~ 151

Performance comparison

Comparative types, mid-1917 country crew Motor power Max. speed Bomb load MG Summit height Range
AEG G.IV German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire 3-4 2 × 260 hp 165 km / h 400 kg 2-3 4500 m 700 km
Rumpler G.III German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire 3 2 × 260 hp 165 km / h 250 kg 2 5000 m 700 km
Albatros G.III German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire 3 2 × 220 hp 150 km / h 300 kg 2 5000 m 600 km
Gotha G.IV German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire 3-4 2 × 260 hp 140 km / h 500 kg 2-3 5000 m 490 km
Friedrichshafen G.III German EmpireThe German Imperium German Empire 3-4 2 × 260 hp 145 km / h 800 kg 2-4 4500 m 600 km
Hansa-Brandenburg GI Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary Austria-Hungary 3 2 × 160 hp 143 km / h ? kg 2 4000 m 1000 km
Létord LET 3 B.3 Third French RepublicThird French Republic France 3 2 × 200 hp 157 km / h approx. 500 kg 2 4270 m 370 km
Caudron G.IV Third French RepublicThird French Republic France 2 2 × 120 hp 151 km / h approx. 300 kg 2 4700 m 275 km
Handley Page Type O / 100 United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland United Kingdom 4th 2 × 250 hp 137 km / h 812.8 kg 4-5 2134 m 725 km
About 32 ItalyItaly Italy 4th 3 × 100 hp 116 km / h 850 kg 4th 3000 m 450 km

See also

swell

  • Enzo Angelucci, Paolo Matricardi: The planes. From the beginning to the First World War. Falken-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1976, ISBN 3-8068-0391-9 , ( Falken manual in color ).
  • Günter Kroschel, Helmut Stützer: The German military aircraft 1910–1918. Lohse-Eissing, Wilhelmshaven 1977, ISBN 3-920602-18-8 . 1977 .
  • Kenneth Munson: Bomber. Surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. 1914-1919. Füssli, Zurich 1968, ( Planes of the World ), No. 51.
  • Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914–1918. Lehmanns, Munich 1959.
  • Ray Rimell: AEG G.IV. In: Windsock international 3, 1987, ISSN  0268-6422 , pp. 13-20 and 4, 1988, pp. 16-18.
  • Michael Sharpe: biplanes, triple decks & seaplanes. Gondrom, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1872-7 .

Web links

Commons : AEG G-Type  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Photo on Flyingmachines.ru
  2. ↑ plan in 1919 to Worldatwar.net, accessed on February 8, 2014
  3. ↑ cf. WINGS PALETTE - AEG G.II / III / IV - Germany (WWI) accessed March 3, 2013
  4. ↑ cf. Manfred von Richthofen : The red fighter pilot . Ullstein-Verlag, Berlin 1917.
  5. ^ Turkish-German bomber "AEG G.IV" on Frontline18, accessed February 8, 2013
  6. ↑ a b c cf. Heinz Nowarra: The Development of Airplanes 1914–1918. Munich 1959
  7. ↑ cf. Handley Page O / 100 , accessed February 8, 2014.
  8. ↑ WBorghuis: Flying First World War. (No longer available online.) In: de.scribd.com. Archived from the original ; accessed on December 12, 2018 .