Friedrichshafen G.II

After the Friedrichshafen G.I showed its potential, the Friedrichshafen G.II, a.k.a. the FF38, was put into limited production in 1916. It served from autumn 1916 through the end of 1917, gradually being replaced with the far-more-numerous G.III.

Thirty-six were built in four batches: six in late 1915, eleven in Feb'16 (the twelveth being converted into the G.III prototype), twelve in Oct'16, and a final six in Feb'17. The latter two batches were built by Daimler rather than Friedrichshafen. In addition to serving at the front, the G.IIs became vehicles for numerous experiments in armament, structure, and tail-form, whose learnings surely contributed to the excellent G.III and G.IIIa. Friedrichshafen-built G.IIs featured five oval windows in the front fuselage covered with transparent Cellon.