Germany - 19117 Rumpler D.I

Arriving Late for the Party

I like the funky look of this plane. All the reference art had the somewhat retro green and mauve paint scheme. If it had entered battle I suspect we would be seeing an entirely different paint job using standard Jasta marking schemes.

Rumpler D.I - 1917

The Rumpler D.I (factory designation 8D1) was a fighter-reconnaissance aircraft produced in Germany at the end of World War I. It was a conventional single-bay biplane with wings of unequal span braced by I-struts. It featured an open cockpit and a fixed, tail skid undercarriage. The upper wing was fitted with aerodynamically balanced ailerons and fuselage had an oval cross-section.

The D.I had a protracted development through the course of 1917, with at least six different development prototypes built before Rumpler settled on a final design in 1918 in time for the Idflieg's D-type competition at Adlershof. Two 8D1s participated, powered by Mercedes D.III engines. Another one participated in the follow-on competition in autumn, this time with a BMW engine.

The Idflieg approved the type for production and issued the designation D.I, but only a small number were produced; the war was practically over and none saw operational service.

References

1. "Rumpler D.I", From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpler_D.I
2. Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London: Putnam, 1962.
3. "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft". London: Aerospace Publishing.
4. Kroschel, Günter and Helmut Stützer. "Die Deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910-1918" (in German). Wilhelmshaven: Herford Verlag, E.S. Mittler & Sohn, 1994. ISBN 3-920602-18-8.
5. Murphy, Justin D. "Military Aircraft: Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of their Impact". Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 2005. ISBN 1-85109-488-1.
6. Taylor, Michael J. H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-51710-316-8.

Germany - 1917 Rumpler C.IV

The Exceptional Rumpler C.IV

Rumpler C.IV - 1917

The Rumpler C.IV-VII were virtually indistinguishable from the outside. This aircraft flew with the unit Flieger-Abteilung(A ) 253 during the late summer of 1918. Leutnant der Reserve Hanns-Gerd Rabe flew numerous long range patrols. The aircraft's high ceiling kept it relatively safe from pursuing Allied fighters.

The Rumpler C.IV was a German single-engine, two-seat reconnaissance biplane. The C.IV was a development of C.III with different tail surfaces and using a Mercedes D.IVa engine in place of C.III's Benz Bz.IV. In addition to the parent company, the aircraft was also built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke as the Pfalz C.I. Another variant of the basic design was the Rumpler 6B-2 single-seat floatplane fighter, with a 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine, built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy).

For a two-seater reconnaissance aircraft, Rumpler C.IV had an excellent performance, which enabled it to remain in front-line service until the end of World War I on the Western Front, as well as in Italy and Palestine. Its exceptional ceiling allowed pilots to undertake reconnaissance secure in the knowledge that few allied aircraft could reach it.

References

1. From Wikipedia Rumpler C-IV "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpler_C.IV"
2. Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. "German Aircraft of the First World War". London, Putnam, 1962.
3. Munson, Kenneth. "Aircraft of World War I". London: Ian Allen, 1967. ISBN 07110 0356.
4. Munson, Kenneth. "Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914-1919". ISBN 0 7537 0918 X
5. Munson, Kenneth. "Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914-1919". ISBN 0 7537 0916 3