AEG C.III

AEG C.III
Role	Reconnaissance [1]
Manufacturer	AEG [1]
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte

Last updated September 23, 2019

The AEG C.III was a two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft, a single prototype of which was built during World War I. The aircraft featured an unusual fuselage design that completely filled the gap between the upper and lower sets of wings, to provide the pilot with improved vision, and to allow the observer a wider field of fire for his 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun. The pilot sat to the rear of the observer, who was stationed over the upper wing. This design was not as successful as had been hoped, and the C.III was never entered into service. Despite being heavier than the C.II, its maximum speed increased to 158 km/h (98 mph).^[1]

A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage over a monoplane, it produces more drag than a similar unbraced or cantilever monoplane wing. Improved structural techniques, better materials and the quest for greater speed made the biplane configuration obsolete for most purposes by the late 1930s.

A reconnaissance aircraft is a military surveillance aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence, signals intelligence, as well as measurement and signature intelligence. Modern technology has also enabled some aircraft and UAVs to carry out real-time surveillance in addition to general intelligence gathering.

World War I 1914–1918 global war starting in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the resulting 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Specifications (AEG C.III)

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

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 36 m² (390 sq ft)
Empty weight: 687 kg (1,515 lb)
Gross weight: 1,237 kg (2,727 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.III 6-cylinder, water-cooled, inline piston engine, 112 kW (150 hp)

The Benz Bz.III was a six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine developed in Germany for use in aircraft in 1914. Developing 112 kW (150 hp) at 1,400 rpm from 14.3 L, it powered many German military aircraft during World War I. It was replaced in production by the unrelated Benz Bz.IIIa. and eventually the V-8 Benz Bz.IIIb. The Benz Bz.III was built under licence in Sweden by AB Thulinverken, known as the Thulin E.

Performance

Maximum speed: 158 km/h (98 mph, 85 kn)

Armament

Guns: 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 or Bergmann MG 15nA machine gun with 550 rounds
Bombs: 4 × 10 kg (20 lb) bombs

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 3 4 Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.

v t e Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) aircraft
Company designations:	Z.1 Z.2 Z.3 Z.6 Z.9
Idflieg designations:	B.I B.II B.III C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII D.I D.II D.III DJ.I Dr.I/F.1 G.I G.II G.III G.IV G.V J.I J.II N.I R.I
Other:	AEG helicopter PE Wagner Eule

v t e Idflieg C-, CL-, CS-, and CLS-class aircraft designations
C- and CL-	AEG C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII AGO C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.VII C.VII Albatros C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X C.XI C.XII C.XIII C.XIV C.XV Aviatik C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VI C.VIII C.IX BFW CL.I CL.II CL.III CL.IV DFW C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI Fokker C.I Friedrichshafen C.I Germania C.I C.II C.IV Halberstadt C.I CL.II C.III CL.IV C.V C.VII C.VIII C.IX CLS.X Hannover C.I CL.II CL.III CL.IV CL.V Junkers CL.I LFG/Roland C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VIII LVG C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VIII OAW C.I C.II Otto C.I C.II Pfalz C.I Rumpler C.I C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X Sablatnig C.I C.II C.III Schütte-Lanz C.I Zeppelin-Friedrichshafen C.I C.II Zeppelin-Lindau C.I C.II
CLS-	Albatros CLS.I Halberstadt CLS.I CLS.II (see also main sequence above) Junkers CLS.I
CS-	Zeppelin-Lindau CS.I

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 Siemens-Schuckert L.I 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 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

AEG C.III

Contents

Specifications (AEG C.III)

See also

Related Research Articles

References

Further reading

AEG C.III

Role	Reconnaissance^[1]
Manufacturer	AEG ^[1]
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte