Zeppelin-Staaken E-4/20

Luftschiffbau Zeppelin · Germany · first flew 1920 · airliner

The Zeppelin-Staaken E-4/20 was a revolutionary German all-metal cantilever monoplane airliner of 1920, considered one of the most advanced aircraft of its era. It was destroyed on Allied orders as part of post-WWI disarmament demands before it could enter service.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	16.6 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Early 1920s German four-engine all-metal monoplane airliner
Cantilever high-wing design decades ahead of its time
Destroyed on Allied orders after single flight

Unique for its era: a large, smooth-skinned all-metal high-wing monoplane with four engines, completely unlike the fabric-covered biplanes typical of 1920.

Specifications

The Zeppelin-Staaken E-4/20 has a length of 16.6 m (54 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31 m (102 ft).
Its maximum speed is 225 km/h (140 mph).
Typical crew: 3-6.

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

History

Designed by Adolf Rohrbach and first flown in September 1920, the E-4/20 could carry 18 passengers and featured a fully stressed-skin metal structure that anticipated modern construction by many years. The Inter-Allied Aeronautical Commission of Control ordered its destruction in 1922, fearing its potential military application. Had it been allowed to operate, it would have been far ahead of contemporary airliners.

Variants

Only one example was built and flown; no variants were produced.

Where you'll see it

Never entered commercial service; destroyed in 1922 on Allied orders. Its single flight demonstrated exceptional capability.

Related aircraft

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