Rumpler C.IV

Cleaning up the Rumpler C.I airframe and installing the excellent Mercedes D.IVa engine resulted in one of the best German reconnaissance aircraft of 1917-1918: the Rumpler C.IV. It was fast -- especially above 15,000 feet where few Entente scouts could match its speed. Its high-efficiency wings made it a superb vehicle for long-range and high altitude photography and reconnaissance. Due to their high-altitude performance, they were difficult to intercept by Entente aircraft.

Early troubles with vibrations and fuselage twisting resulted in the early C.IVs being withdrawn in April 1917 and the fuselage panels were strengthened with plywood, and aerodynamic testing showed that the spinner actually increased drag, so it was eliminated. Early planes used a ring mount for the observer's gun, but later ones used a bar, presumably to save weight. Early models also used a stick for the pilot (including a fairing for the elevator cables on the bottom of the fuselage), but later models used a wheel.

One interesting detail is that in order for the intake manifold of the Mercedes D.IVa engine to clear the forward cabane strut, it had to be mounted in with a slight rotation to the starboard.

A variety of high performance engines and minor modifications were made. Initially these were all designated as Rumpler C.IV's, but late in 1917 each of the variants was given its own C-type designation. This resulted in the C.V, C.VI (later renamed Rubild), C.VII, C.VIII trainer, C.IX, Rubild, and Rubild-Maybach variants, but at their heart they were all Rumpler C.IVs. C.IVs were used in Italy and Palestine as well as the Western Front.

Aircraft Chart

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways:
 * Early model: Decapod, Reduced Aircraft Factory, wow
 * Late model: wow
 * Plastic Kit: Valom 14415
 * Metal kit: ,
 * Wings of War: WW23J MFFA 2; WW23K 8267/17; WW23L 8012/17

1:200 Scale

 * Shapeways: wow (late)

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: Decapod, Reduced Aircraft Factory

1:300 Scale

 * Metal kit: Heroics & Ros GWA102

1:350 Scale

 * Shapeways: Decapod