Rumpler Taube (Etrich Taube)

History

The Austro-Hungarian "Taube" was a single-seat monoplane whose design was eventually built by various companies in pre-World War I Europe. The design belongs to Igo Etrich, which debuted in 1909 and made its first flight the following year.

When the Etrich patent was allowed to expire, a number of companies including Rumpler, Lohner, Aviatik, DFW, Abatros took over building the Taube, some of which served as trainers, scouts in World War I (1914-1918) Platforms and - to some ranges - fighters/light bombers (though only with hand-held/hand-fired weapons).

The dove's wings appear to be modeled after a bird, using elegant curves, but its true shape is said to be taken from the seeds of Javanese cucumbers. A simple plate side fuselage was used, containing the engine and pilot (a simple two-bladed propeller was used) at the very front of the aircraft.

Fixed wheeled landing gear for ground operation. For air control, the wings "bend" in flight - a popular feature of early monoplanes. Power comes from an 86-horsepower, water-cooled Mercedes E4F-type 4-cylinder piston engine.

Top speed is 62 mph, range is up to 87 miles, and service is capped at 6,562 feet.

Despite their flimsy appearance, Taube aircraft have been designed to be used in a variety of civilian and military roles. Their first combat mission was over Libya in 1911, when an Italian pigeon dropped shells on enemy positions.

A combat exhibition followed in 1912 in the Balkans, and from there, the series was used as observation and reconnaissance platforms during World War I - although it was soon overtaken by more advanced aircraft.

Worldwide operators range from Argentina and Bulgaria to the Ottoman Empire and Switzerland.

Specification

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