D.F.W. R.I

Germany's R-class (Riesenflugzeug) did not attract only Zeppelin-Staaken, D.F.W. and other manufacturers also spent time on their own giant bombers. The D.F.W. R.I was originally powered by four Mercedes D.IV engines but -- as they had on so many other planes -- those geared engines proved troublesome and had to eventually be replaced by the D.IVa. The R.I was sent to Riesenflugzeugabteilung 500 near Riga on the Eastern Front on 30 April 1917. It flew missions from May through September 1917, when it crashed and was destroyed.