Albatros C.V

Albatros Flugzeugwerke · Germany · first flew 1916 · bomber

The Albatros C.V was a German two-seat reconnaissance and artillery-spotting biplane used during the First World War. It continued the Albatros C-series tradition of smooth plywood fuselage construction.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, straight
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageStreamlined plywood fuselage typical of Albatros designs
T — TailConventional

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Typical Albatros two-bay biplane with rounded plywood fuselage, inline engine with nose radiator, and equal-span wings; distinguishable from C.III by longer fuselage and engine type.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed in 1916 as an improvement on the C.III and C.IV, the C.V served on the Western and Eastern Fronts performing reconnaissance, artillery observation, and light bombing. It was powered by a high-compression Mercedes D.IVa engine.

Variants

The C.V/16 and C.V/17 were the primary production variants, differing in engine and equipment details.

Where you'll see it

Served with the Imperial German Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) from 1916, progressively replaced by the C.VII and later types.

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