Zeppelin-Staaken R.IV
| Zeppelin-Staaken R.IV | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Zeppelin-Staaken |
| First flight | 16 Aug 1916 [1] |
| Introduction | July 1917 [2][3] |
| Primary user |  Germany
|
| Number built | 1 |
| Wingspan | 42.0 m (137 ft 8 in)[4]-42.2 m (138 ft 5 in)[5][1] |
| Propeller Diam. | Tractor: 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) Pusher: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)[1] |
| Engine | 4×220hp Benz Bz.IV and 2×160hp Mercedes D.III[6][5] |
| Armament | 6-7 MGs [6][note 1] 910 kg (2,000 lb) of bombs[4] |
| Max Speed | 125 km/h (78 mph)[6][5][1] |
| Climb | 1,000 m (3,280 ft) in 10:00[4][1] 2,000 m (6,560 ft) in 35:00[1]-38:00[4] 3,000 m (9,840 ft) in 89:00[6][5][1] |
| Ceiling | 3,400 m (11,000 ft)[4]-3,700 m (12,100 ft)[5][1] |
| Endurance | 6:00-7:00[6][1] |
The Zeppelin-Staaken R.IV, sereal number R.12/15, was basically a Zeppelin-Staaken V.G.O. III with the nacelle engines upgraded to the 220hp Benz. After starting on the Eastern front in July 1917, the plane was relocated to the Western Front and was used in raids on the U.K.
The R.IV began construction in early 1916 at Gotha, before the R-plane factory was moved to Staaken in mid 1916. By August it was ready for testing, and since the factory had by then been moved, it was the first plane to be accepted with the "Staaken" naming. The R.IV was similar to the V.G.O. III but required changes to accommodate the more powerful Benz Bz.IV engines in the nacelles. It was the first of the R-planes to add gunner's positions in the upper wings, reached via ladders from the engine nacelles. Arriving for service at Alt-Auz on 12 June 1917, it joined the other planes at Rfa 500, where it participated in raids in the summer of 1917. In July 1917 it was transferred to Rfa 501 on the Western Front, where it was used in raids on London, Chelmsford, and several French cities, serving through the end of the war.[1]
For more information, see Wikipedia:Zeppelin-Staaken Riesenflugzeuge.
Timeline
Game Data
Wings of Glory
| Availability | Maneuver | Damage | Dmg Points | Max Alt. | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16Q1-18Q4 | XA | (S) | 34 | 10 | 8 |
Card Links
Miniatures and Models
1:144 Scale
- Shapeways: Columbia Aerodrome
1:200 Scale
- Shapeways: Columbia Aerodrome
References
- Notes
- Citations
- 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
- W.M. Lamberton and E.F. Cheesman, Reconnaissance & Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Great Britain: Harleyford Publications Ltd., 1962. ISBN 9780900435027
- Kenneth Munson, Bombers: Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, 1914-1919. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1968, Blandford Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0753721711