The Albatros B.II was an unarmed German two-seat reconnaissance biplane of the First World War. Designed by Ernst Heinkel based on his 1913 Albatros B.I , the B.II was the aircraft that brought the aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke to the world's attention. First flying in 1914, large numbers of the B.II were built and, though it was relegated from front-line service in 1915 following the introduction of the armed C-type two-seaters, the B.II remained in service as a trainer until 1918 and was still operated by the Royal Swedish Air Force in 1919.

The B.II had a shorter wingspan than the B.I and used a variety of engines up to 120-hp (89 kW). In 1914 it set an altitude record of 4,500 m (14,765 ft). The seating arrangement was not ideal; the pilot occupied the rear cockpit and the observer sat in front over the wings which greatly reduced his downward view while the protruding engine block almost completely obscured the view over the nose. When Albatros developed the armed C.I based on their B-series, the seat positions were swapped so that the observer/gunner had a better view and clear field of fire.

A floatplane variant of the B.II was developed, known as the W.I or B.II-W, as was a purpose-built trainer with increased wingspan and different engines, designated the B.IIa. Further developments led to the Albatros B.III , which was produced in small numbers.

Contents

1 Specifications 1.1 General Characteristics 1.2 Performance 2 Related content

Specifications

General Characteristics

• Crew: two, pilot & observer
• Length: 7.63 m (25 ft)
• Wingspan: 12.80 m (42 ft)
• Height: 3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: m² ( ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: 1,071 kg (2,361 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Mercedes D.II 6-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine, 75 kW (100 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 105 km/h (66 mph)
• Range: endurance of 4 hours
• Service ceiling: 3,000 m (9,840 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)

Related content

Related development: Albatros B.I - Albatros B.III - Albatros C.III

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: B.I - B.II - B.III -