The LVG C.II was a 1910s

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

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 A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

designed at the Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft for the ''

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, alt ...

''.

Development

The C.II was developed from the

LVG B.I The LVG B.I was a 1910s German two-seat reconnaissance biplane designed by Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft for the ''Luftstreitkräfte''. Development LVG had been involved in the operation of dirigibles before it started design, in 1912, of the comp ...

, with the pilot and observer positions reversed, adding a ring-mounted machine gun to the rear. The increase in weight required a larger engine, the

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 ...

. Few C.I's were built before the C.II was introduced. It incorporated structural improvements and a more powerful engine.Donald, 1997, p. 553.

Operational history

The C.IV was the first fixed-wing aircraft to bomb

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, when six bombs were dropped near Victoria station on 28 November 1916. (The first air raid on London was by the Zeppelin LZ 38, in the early hours of 1 June 1915.)

Variants

*LVG C.I - initial design, 120 kW (160 hp)

engine. *LVG C.II - production version. *LVG C.III - single experimental aircraft, observer and machine gun moved to front. *LVG C.IV - slightly larger, 160 kW (220 hp)

Mercedes D.IV The Mercedes D.IV was an eight-cylinder, liquid-cooled inline aircraft engine built by '' Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft'' (DMG) and used on a small number of German aircraft during World War I. Design and development The design was based around ...

engine.

Operators

; * Luftstreitkrafte *

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 ...

; *

Swiss Air Force The Swiss Air Force (german: Schweizer Luftwaffe; french: Forces aériennes suisses; it, Forze aeree svizzere; rm, Aviatica militara svizra) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914 as a part of the army and ...

Specifications (C.II)

Notes

References

* Donald, David, ''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft'' (pg 553). (1997). Prospero Books. * van Wyngarden, G (2006). Early German Aces of World War I, Osprey Publishing Ltd. * {{Authority control 1910s German military reconnaissance aircraft Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft C.II Aircraft first flown in 1915