Halberstadt CL.IV

Halberstadt · German Empire · first flew 1918 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective German two-seat close-support aircraft of the First World War, built specifically for low-level attacks on troops.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Short, strengthened biplane fuselage with a wide-span horizontal stabiliser
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Short, strengthened biplane fuselage with a wide-span horizontal stabiliser
Twin forward-firing guns beside a ring-mounted rear gun
Horn-balanced one-piece elevator distinct from the earlier CL.II

A compact two-seat biplane with a notably deep, short fuselage and twin forward guns beside the observer's ring-mounted gun.

Specifications

The Halberstadt CL.IV has a length of 6.54 m (21 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.74 m (35 ft).
Its maximum speed is 165 km/h (103 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Designed by Karl Thies as an improved successor to the CL.II, which had already proved itself in the ground-support role, the CL.IV had a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a larger, more effective tailplane for better manoeuvrability at low level. It reached the Western Front in 1918, flying in flights of four to six aircraft at under a hundred feet to suppress enemy troops and artillery ahead of German infantry.

Variants

It followed directly from the CL.II and shared that type's overall layout with strengthened structure and revised control surfaces.

Where you'll see it

Surviving CL.IV airframes are held in museum collections including the National Air and Space Museum, making it one of the more accessible German two-seaters of its class today.

Related aircraft

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