The Rumpler B.I (factory designation 4A) was a military reconnaissance aircraft produced in Germany during World War I.[1]
| B.I | |
|---|---|
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| |
| Role | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Rumpler |
| First flight | 1914 |
| Primary user | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Number built | ca 225 |
Design and development edit
The B.I was a conventional two-bay biplane with unstaggered wings of unequal span.[2] It featured two open cockpits in tandem and fixed, tailskid undercarriage.[2] Its upper wing reflected the wing design of the Etrich Taube that Rumpler was building at the time.[3]
Rumpler built 198 of these aircraft for the Luftstreitkräfte, plus 26 seaplane versions for the Imperial German Navy.[2]
Variants edit
- 4A - landplane with Mercedes D.I engine, military designation B.I[3]
- 4A13 - B.I with balanced, comma-style rudder[4]
- 4A14 - version with Benz Bz.III engine[5]
- 4B - seaplane
Operators edit
- Royal Danish Air Force - Postwar.
Specifications edit
Data from Gray & Thetford 1962, p.518
General characteristics
- Crew: Two, pilot and observer
- Length: 8.40 m (27 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 13.00 m (42 ft 8 in)
- Height: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
- Empty weight: 750 kg (1,650 lb)
- Gross weight: 970 kg (2,100 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.I , 75 kW (100 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 145 km/h (90 mph, 78 kn)
Notes edit
References edit
- Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1962). German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam.
- Herris, Jack (2014). Rumpler Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 11. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-21-6.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
- Kroschel, Günter; Helmut Stützer (1994). Die Deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910–1918. Herford: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
Further reading edit
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