Zeppelin-Staaken V.G.O. I

The Zeppelin-Staaken V.G.O. I was the first of the Riesenflugzeug (giant airplanes) from the firm. Before moving to Staaken in 1916, the design was carried out at Versuchsbau Gotha-Ost (East Gotha Experimental Works), from which the V.G.O. name derives. After testing, the first V.G.O. was re-designated the R.M.L.I and it was used by the German Navy on the Eastern Front. By late 1916 the plane and the Zeppelin-Staaken V.G.O. II were assigned to Riesenflugzeugabteilung 500. The V.G.O.I was refitted with five 245hp Maybach engines in December 1915, which it needed since it was underpowered. But while on testing with the new engines it crashed. Before then it at cooperated with the V.G.O.II on a raid on the rail junction at Schlok (now in Estonia) on 13 Aug 1916, but had to turn back before reaching the target because the nose engine had cracked a cylinder. Turnaround was quick and it carried out its first raid on 15 Aug 1916.