A.E.G.

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Allgemeine Elektrizitäs-Gesellschaft (A.E.G.) of Henningsdorf Bei Berlin is best known for their twin-engine medium bombers, but their C and J-class two-seaters played a significant part in the war. Other than wing ribs, A.E.G. aircraft were constructed almost fully of welded steel tube, which gave them great strength under fire, and crews appreciated their robust construction.[1]

Aircraft from the Great War or shortly thereafter include:

References

Notes
  1. The C.III was an experimental two-seater with the fuselage top at the same level as the top wing, like the L.F.G. Roland C.II. It did not go into production.[2]
  2. The C.V was a slightly larger C.IV with the Mercedes D.IV engine. The Albatros C.V and L.V.G. C.IV were selected for that engine instead.[3]
  3. The C.VII was a low-level escort of the type that would later be classed as CL. Halberstadt and Hannover offerings were superior and it was not selected fro production.[4]
  4. The C.VIII was another attempt to create a light escort, and it came in both biplane and triplane forms. Neither was selected for production.[5]
  5. AEG built a fighter prototype in 1917, but crashes of the prototype threw the program into doubt and the small production run was cancelled.[6]
  6. AEG's contribution to the "triplane craze" was completed in autumn 1917 and -- while it displayed good speed -- it was not selected for production.[7]
  7. AEG's entry into the giant bombers, the R.I, was a 4-engine giant with 4x260hp engines. It disintegrated during testing on 3 Sep 1918.[8] Eight had been ordered but only one was completed before war's end.[9]
  8. Undeterred by the failure of the R.I, work began on a much larger R.II, but not much had been accomplished before the Armistice.[8]. It and other AEG R-plane projects remained on the drawing board.[10]
  9. The DJ.I was a concept for a low-level armored triplane fighter from the winter of 1917-18, but it was abandoned by summer due to "poor flight characteristics". Biplane versions followed but similarly were not adopted.[11]
Citations
  1. Gray, p.13
  2. Herris, p.20.
  3. Herris, p.43.
  4. Herris, p.44.
  5. Herris, p.46.
  6. Herris, pp.47-49.
  7. Herris, p.50.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Herris, p.160.
  9. Haddow'69, p.73.
  10. Haddow'69, p.80.
  11. Herris, pp.83-85.
Bibliography
  • Peter Gray and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. Great Britain, Putnam, 1962, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
  • G.W. Haddow and Peter M. Grosz, The German Giants; The German R-Planes 1914-1918. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 2nd Ed., 1969. ISBN 9780370000374
  • Jack Herris, AEG Aircraft of WWI. Aeronaut Books, 2015. ISBN 978-1-935881-28-5.