The Albatros B.II, (post-war company designation L.2) was an unarmed German two-seat
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
biplane of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Design and development
Designed by
Robert Thelen
(''corresponding article on Robert Thelen is at German Wikipedia --> deutsch'')
Robert Thelen (23 March 1884, Nürnberg - 23 February 1968, Berlin) was a German aviation pioneer and designer.
He was a chief designer of Albatros Flugzeugwerke ...
based on his 1913
Albatros B.I
The Albatros B.I, (post-war company designation L.1) was a German military reconnaissance aircraft designed in 1913 and which saw service during World War I.
Design and development
The B.I was a two-seat biplane of conventional configuration th ...
, the B.II was the aircraft that brought the aircraft manufacturer
Albatros Flugzeugwerke
Albatros Flugzeugwerke GmbH was a German aircraft manufacturer best known for supplying the German airforces during World War I.
The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded by Walter Huth and Otto Wiener on December 20, 1 ...
to the world's attention (
Ernst Heinkel
Dr. Ernst Heinkel (24 January 1888 – 30 January 1958) was a German aircraft designer, manufacturer, '' Wehrwirtschaftsführer'' in Nazi Germany, and member of the Nazi party. His company Heinkel Flugzeugwerke produced the Heinkel He 178, th ...
claimed to have designed this aircraft, which is considered untrue by aviation historians).
[Grosz, Peter M. ''Albatros C.I'', Windsock Datafile No. 57, Albatros Productions, 1996, , p.5, 10]
The B.II had a shorter
wingspan
The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan o ...
than the B.I and used a variety of engines up to 89 kW (120 hp). In 1914 it set an altitude record of 4,500 m (14,800 ft). The seating arrangement was not ideal; the pilot occupied the rear
cockpit, 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.1 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.
Operational history
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
Swedish Air Force in 1919 and by the
Polish Air Force during the
Polish-Soviet war of 1920. A B.II from
Feldflieger Abteilung Feldflieger Abteilung (''FFA'', Field Flying Company) was the title of the pioneering field aviation units of what became the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (German air service) by October 1916, during World War I.
Composition
The use of aircraft as a tact ...
41 was the one of the first landplanes (as opposed to
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...
) to drop bombs on England that caused some damage;
on April 16, 1915, ten bombs were dropped by hand in the area of
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...
and
Faversham
Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2, which follows an ancient Briti ...
. No significant damage or casualties resulted.
Service in Sweden
In 1914, the German manufacturer Albatros-Flugzeugwerke GmbH of Berlin-Johannisthal, was touring several countries in northern Europe, displaying their new aircraft, the Albatros B.IIa. At the time, it was considered one of the best primary trainer aircraft. However, the landing gear and propeller were damaged when it arrived in Sweden. Due to the outbreak of World War I, no spares could be sent, and the aircraft was interned. It was repaired and used as a trainer by the
Swedish Air Force. This aircraft was later copied and manufactured in Sweden by six different aircraft companies: ''Svenska Aeroplanfabriken'' (SAF), ''Södertelge Werkstäder'' (SW), ''Marinens Flygväsende'' (MFV), ''Nordiska Aviatikbolaget'' (NAB),
AB Thulinverken
AB Thulinverken was a company in Landskrona, Sweden, founded in 1914 as Enoch Thulins Aeroplanfabrik by the airman and aircraft technician Enoch Thulin. The company became Sweden's first aircraft manufacturer. In 1920, Thulin also started manuf ...
as the Thulin C and ''Flygkompaniets Verkstäder Malmen'' (FVM). It was the first military trainer aircraft in Sweden and received the designation Sk 1 and Ö2 in the Swedish Air Force (the two types differed slightly, mainly by choice of engine). An FVM-built Sk 1 Albatros is on public display in the
Swedish Air Force Museum near
Linköping
Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...
. The type was used until 1935. One aircraft was later sold to Finland.
Service in Finland
NAB Albatros Type 9 (and SW 20 Albatros), Type 12 and Type 17 were among the first aircraft of the
Finnish Air Force
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. It was in use between 1918 and 1923. There were two Type 9s, and one each of the Type 12 and 17. There was also one SW 20 Albatros, which was similar to the Type 9. The Type 12 aircraft was destroyed in the ferry flight to Finland; the remains of the aircraft were found near
Eckerö
Eckerö is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is water. The population density is
.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish and ...
,
Åland
Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an autonomous and demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1,580 km2, and a populat ...
. Type 12 was actually a modified
Curtiss Twin JN
The Curtiss Twin JN (retrospectively called the Model 1B and also known as the JN-5) was an experimental aircraft built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the United States Army Air Service. It was a biplane, designed for observatio ...
with floats made by NAB.
Austro-Hungarian service
The Albatros B.II was widely used by the K.u.K, but was given the designation Albatros B.I (series 21).
Variants
;B.II
:Developed from the B.I, the B.II entered production in 1914; (Company post-war designation L.2).
;B.IIa
:strengthened airframe, particularly the tail section and Mercedes D.II or Argus As III engines with radiators moved to the leading edge of the upper centre section; (Company post-war designation L.30).
;B.II (Ph) series 23: Production of the B.I in Vienna by
Phönix Flugzeug-Werke AG, for the
Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
The Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops or Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (german: Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or , hu, Császári és Királyi Légjárócsapatok) were the air force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the e ...
.
;B.II (Ph) series 24: Production of the B.I in Vienna by
Phönix Flugzeug-Werke AG, for the
Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
The Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops or Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (german: Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or , hu, Császári és Királyi Légjárócsapatok) were the air force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the e ...
.
[
;W.1
:Seaplane with twin floats and a ]Benz Bz.III
The Benz Bz.III was a six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine developed in Germany for use in aircraft in 1914. Developing 112 kW (150 hp) at 1,400 rpm from 14.3 L (875 cu in),Smith 1981, p.53. it powered many German military aircraft ...
engine.
;Thulin C: Licence built version by AB Thulinverken
AB Thulinverken was a company in Landskrona, Sweden, founded in 1914 as Enoch Thulins Aeroplanfabrik by the airman and aircraft technician Enoch Thulin. The company became Sweden's first aircraft manufacturer. In 1920, Thulin also started manuf ...
Operators
;
;
*''Luftstreitkräfte
The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...
''
*''Kaiserliche Marine
{{italic title
The adjective ''kaiserlich'' means "imperial" and was used in the German-speaking countries to refer to those institutions and establishments over which the ''Kaiser'' ("emperor") had immediate personal power of control.
The term wa ...
''
;
*Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
The Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops or Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (german: Kaiserliche und Königliche Luftfahrtruppen or , hu, Császári és Királyi Légjárócsapatok) were the air force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the e ...
;
* Bulgarian Air Force operated this type to 1918
;
*Finnish Air Force
, colours =
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, march =
, mascot =
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, equipment = 159
, equipment_label ...
operated three aircraft (two NAB 9, one SW 20) in 1918-20
;
*Latvian Air Force
Latvian Air Force ( lv, Latvijas Gaisa spēki) is the aviation branch of the National Armed Forces. The first air force (AF) units were established 1992. It has no air combat capability, thus the defense of Latvian air space is maintained by NATO ...
;
*Lithuanian Air Force
The Lithuanian Air Force or LAF ( lt, Lietuvos karinės oro pajėgos, abbreviated as ''LK KOP'') is the military aviation branch of the Lithuanian armed forces. It is formed from professional military servicemen and non-military personnel. Units ...
operated six aircraft postwar
* Air Club of Lithuania from 1929 until late 1930s used one ex-military Albatros B.II
;
*Ottoman Air Force
The Aviation Squadrons of the Ottoman Empire were military aviation units of the Ottoman Army and Navy.Edward J. Erickson, ''Ordered To Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', "Appendix D The Ottoman Aviation Inspectorate an ...
;
* Polish Air Force operated 116 B.IIs and B.IIas between 1918 and 1927. A dozen or so remained within civil aviation until 1937.
;
* Swedish Air Force operated 47 aircraft postwar (Sk 1/Ö2).
* Swedish Navy operated five aircraft between 1920 and 1929.
;
* Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
operated one aircraft from August 1914 - February 1918.
Specifications (B.II with Mercedes D.II engine)
See also
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{Authority control
Biplanes
Single-engined tractor aircraft
1910s German military reconnaissance aircraft
1910s German military trainer aircraft
Military aircraft of World War I
B.II
Aircraft first flown in 1914