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Rumpler C.III

1916 WORLD WAR 1

History

Rumpler Flugzeugwerke improved the C.III series following their Rumpler C.I biplane reconnaissance aircraft. The Rumpler name was ultimately associated with the preeminent high-flying, long-endurance reconnaissance aircraft, and built on the successes of the C.I and C.IIIthough both were eventually surpassed by the subsequent mighty C.IV.

The Rumpler Group was founded by Austrian-born engineer Edmund Rumpler, who founded Rumpler Luftfahrtzeugbau in Berlin in 1909. In the early years, the company was content to license the Etrich-Taube family of monoplanes, rather primitive aircraft with swallow-like wings and tails. Only after the outbreak of the First World War did the wartime economy allow for more experiments and the opportunity to sign lucrative defense contracts with the German imperial government.

Thus, Rumpler began the in-house design and development of his own reconnaissance airframe, as was custom at the time. These designs became the successful two-seater armed scouts with biplane wings, which would take their place in the German aircraft roster.

The original C.I was purchased by the Luftwaffe ("Air Force") in 1915 and survived remarkably on the front lines until 1918 - the last year of the war. Its layout is traditional, with the engines (driven by a two-bladed wooden propeller) in the front of the boxy fuselage, the crew in a central open-air cockpit (seated in line) and a single vertical tail fin Traditional tail. The wing layout of the biplane corresponds to that of the time, showing parallel struts with the necessary wiring. The landing gear is fixed and has a simple rear skid with two wheeled leg units.

This type was used outside the German Empire, and for the Ottoman Empire, biplane operation was permitted. Latvia, Poland and Yugoslavia all became postwar users.

With this in mind, it was natural to further develop the existing design based on operational experience, resulting in the C. III production model (called "Model 6A5" by Rumpler). C.III contributes to a better understanding of aerodynamic principles and their impact on fighter jets.

The entire process has been refined to produce a good airframe for the rigors of military service. With minor modifications, the refined "Type 6A6" was realized.

The C. III features a Benz Bz IV series engine rated at 220 hp, allowing operation at altitudes above 13,000 feet, a range of 300 miles, and a top speed of 85 mph. That's pretty impressive by 1916 standards.

Additionally, the C.III is longer and has a larger wingspan than the C.I - changes designed to encourage improved performance specifications. Armament consists of a forward-firing 7.92mm machine gun and a 7.92mm machine gun mounted on a trainable mount in the rear cockpit.

The two crew members - the pilot and the observer/gunner - sat in separate open-air cockpits, with the pilot in the front seat behind the engine mounts.

Impressed by the C.III, German authorities took action to protect around 70-75 aircraft, although records indicate that at peak it may never exceed 50. The C.III replaces the C.I type and operates in the same way, conducting armed reconnaissance of enemy positions and engagements when appropriate. Rumpler began work on a further improved C-series reconnaissance biplane, later the C.IV. With the arrival of the C.IV, the value of the C.III decreased significantly, and by the end of 1917 only a few remained - unlike the C.I, which, after its introduction in 1915, lasted until early 1918.

The C. IV itself was the frontline system of the Luftwaffe until the end of the war in November 1918.