Ago C.IV

The Ago C.IV is instantly recognizable by its sharply tapered wings. While aerodynmically efficient (as hundreds of WWII designs proved), it made the C.IV difficult to manufacture. Their crews found them difficult to fly and with limited climbing capability, which is surprising given their excellent Benz engine.

In early use there were crashes due to fuselage failures and control problems. The addition of double ailerons, a curved fin, and extra wing bracing improved its handling, but by that time (mid-1917) there were much better two-seaters available. The flight dynamics of the tapered wing were not as well understood as a conventional washed-out rectangular wing, and unpopularity and crew resistance resulted in the Ago C.IV being permanently grounded on 7 September 1917.

The tapered wings were not the only innovation on the C.IV: it omitted the normal fuselage-wide inner struts in order to maximize the field-of-fire of the observer in the forward direction, adding a pair of wires to limit the travel to the propeller arc.