Rumpler G.I Explained
The
Rumpler G.I was a
bomber aircraft produced in
Germany during
World War I, together with refined versions known as the
G.II and
G.III.
[1] Design and development
Based on a prototype with the factory designation 4A15, the G.I and its successors were built to a conventional bomber design for their time, two-bay biplanes with unstaggered wings of unequal span.[2] The pilot sat in an open cockpit just forward of the wings, and open positions were provided in the nose and amidships for a gunner and observer. The engines were mounted pusher-fashion in nacelles atop the lower wings and enclosed in streamlined cowlings.[2] Fixed tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with dual wheels on each unit.[2]
The G.II version was almost identical, but featured more powerful engines and carried a second 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun and increased bombload.[2] The G.III was again similar, but had engine nacelles that were now mounted on short struts clear of the lower wing.[2]
Variants
- 4A15 - prototype with Benz Bz.III engines[3]
- 5A15 - G.I production version with single machine gun and Benz Bz.III or Mercedes D.III engines[4] (c. 60 built)[2]
- 5A16 - G.II production version with Benz Bz.IV engines and two machine guns[5] (c. 72 built)[6]
- 6G2 - G.III production version with Mercedes D.IVa engines and two machine guns[7] (c. 90 built)[6]
References
- Book: Gray, Peter . Owen Thetford . German Aircraft of the First World War . Putnam . London . 1962 .
- Book: Herris . Jack . Rumpler Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes . 2014 . Aeronaut Books . n.p. . 978-1-935881-21-6. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. 11.
- Book: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Aerospace Publishing. London .
- Book: Kroschel, Günter . Helmut Stützer . Die Deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910–1918 . Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn . Herford . 1994.
Notes and References
- Taylor 1989, p.772
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, p.2834
- Gray & Thetford 1962, p.529
- Gray & Thetford 1962, p.530
- Gray & Thetford 1962, p.531
- Kroschel & Stützer 1994, p.140
- Gray & Thetford 1962, p.532
