The Albatros C.I was the first of the successful C-series of two-seat general-purpose biplanes built by Albatros Flugzeugwerke during the First World War. Based on the unarmed Albatros B.II, the C.I reversed the pilot and observer seating so that the observer occupied the rear cockpit which was fitted with a ring-mounted 7.5 mm Parabellum machine gun.

When the C.I first appeared in early 1915, its good handling and powerful 150-hp Benz Bz.III engine gave it an edge over most Allied aircraft. While the C.I was operated mainly in a reconnaissance and observation role, it also had some success as an early fighter aircraft — Oswald Boelcke claimed his first victory while flying a C.I with Lt. von Wühlisch as the gunner. Germany's most famous First World War aviator, Manfred von Richthofen, also began his career as an observer in the C.I on the Eastern Front.

A dual-control variant, designated the C.Ib, was built for as a trainer aircraft by Mercur Flugzeugbau . Improvements to the C.I resulted in the Albatros C.III which became the most prolific of the Albatros C-types.

Contents

1 Specifications 1.1 General Characteristics 1.2 Performance 1.3 Armament 2 Related content

Specifications

General Characteristics

• Crew: two, pilot & observer
• Length: 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 12.90 m (42 ft 4 in)
• Height: 3.14 m (10 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: m² ( ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: 1,190 kg (2,624 lbg)
• Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Benz Bz.III liquid-cooled inline engine, 112 kW (150 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: km/h ( mph)
• Range: endurance of 2 hours 30 minutes
• Service ceiling: 3,000 m (9,843 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)

Armament

• 1x 7.5 mm (.30 in) Parabellum machine gun in observer's cockpit

Related content

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

Comparable aircraft: Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2

Designation sequence: C.I - C.II - C.III - C.IV