В.Кондратьев Самолеты первой мировой войны

АЛЬБАТРОС C-XII / ALBATROS C-XII

   Вершиной развития двухместных "Альбатросов" в годы Первой мировой войны стал C-XII. Созданный в середине 1917-го, этот красивый, элегантный аэроплан обладал великолепными летными данными. Благодаря высокой энерговооруженности и отличной аэродинамике C-XII развивал скорость, недоступную даже для большинства одноместных истребителей того периода.
   Фюзеляж - клеенный монокок овального сечения и радиатор, вписанный в контур верхнего крыла, создавали минимальное лобовое сопротивление.
   Правда, за малый вес и аэродинамическое совершенство пришлось заплатить отсутствием какой-либо бомбовой нагрузки. Максимум, что мог нести "Альбатрос, помимо экипажа и разведывательного оборудования - это несколько мелких бомб в кабине летнаба, которые сбрасывались вручную. C-XII строили те же авиазаводы, что и C-X, за исключением фирмы Роланд.


ДВИГАТЕЛЬ
  
   "Мерседес", 260 л.с.
  
  
ВООРУЖЕНИЕ
  
   1 синхронный "Шпандау", 1 турельный "Парабеллум".
  
  
ЛЕТНО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ
(C-XII)
  
   Размах, м 14,12
   Длина, м 8,84
   Сухой вес, кг 580
   Взлетный вес, кг 1061
   Скорость максимальная, км/ч 210
   Время набора высоты, м/мин 2000/8
   Потолок, м 5640

А.Александров, Г.Петров Крылатые пленники России

В середине 1917 г. компания выпустила улучшенный вариант "десятки" - модель, названную "Альбатрос Ц. XII". Ее фюзеляж принял удобообтекаемое овальное сечение, стабилизатор и руль глубины также образовывали овал в плане сверху, киль увеличился за счет дополнительной поверхности, устроенной между корпусом и хвостовым костылем, выхлопной патрубок прежнего 260-сильного "Мерседеса" направлялся вдоль правой стороны фюзеляжа. Общие размеры слегка уменьшились. Вероятно, из всех двухместных "Альбатросов" "двенадцатый" оказался самым элегантным по форме, хотя его аэродинамическая "опрятность" не привела к значительному улучшению характеристик, так как оптимальное соотношение между подъемной силой несущих поверхностей и производимым ими воздушным сопротивлением не было найдено. В том, что аэроплан, строившийся четырьмя германскими компаниями и остававшийся в строю до самого конца войны, действительно производил хорошее впечатление, нетрудно убедиться, взглянув на машину, собранную в нижегородском 4-м авиапарке и служившую в Красной авиации (54, а и б). Аппарат с мотором "Фиат" 240 л. с. и с непонятным номером 3 появился там в апреле 1921 г.; в ноябре его перевезли в Москву, что-то доделали и облетали 2 марта 1922 г., приписав затем к НОА. Шавров В. Б. неправильно называл "двенадцатый" "семнадцатым" - "Альбатрос-17", вслед за оригинальной подписью к фотографиям, изображающим, скорее всего, "трудное прошлое" уже упоминавшегося самолета. Вот он в снегу (55), а вот - на лыжах (56). Но не на обтекаемых лыжах системы Н. П. Лобанова, производства Московского аэротехнического завода, а на сдвоенных, необлагороженной формы, но, вероятно, того же конструктора и той же фабрики. Стоит отметить еще и снабженные роговыми компенсаторами элероны верхних крыльев, впервые такие подвешивались на Ц.Х. Все элероны и руль поворота окрашены красным, одинаково со звездами, одна из которых видна под двигателем. Интересно, что звезды все как на подбор неровные, а на крыльях - повернуты в разные стороны.

O.Thetford, P.Gray German Aircraft of the First World War (Putnam)

Albatros C XII

   The Albatros C XII was designed as a successor to the C X and it began to emerge from the Albatros OAW and BFW production lines in the autumn of 1917. A glance at the illustrations is sufficient to show that the design team had decided to put to use knowledge gained from the series of streamlined single-seat fighters. Most certainly in the C XII they produced their most elegant two-seat aeroplane. Few two-seaters - if any - surpassed it for nicety of proportion and profile. Yet the refinement of fuselage design did not produce any great improvement in performance. This was largely due to the inadequate wing sections in use, a really efficient lift/drag ratio having not yet been attained.
   The completely new fuselage structure flowed harmoniously from the large spinnered airscrew to the typical Albatros horizontal knife-edge at the rear. The same 260 h.p. Mercedes D IVa, so successful and reliable in the C X, was neatly installed in the nose with easily removed metal access panels to facilitate servicing. The basic structure was again of longerons and multi-plywood formers, although the latter were now of pure elliptical cross-section. The three-ply covering was pinned and screwed to the framework in small rectangular pieces, to follow the curving contours. The "fining down" of the C XII fuselage resulted in a considerable reduction of the keel surface, and to retain adequate directional stability a small under fin was incorporated in the vertical tail surfaces. This, like the upper fin, was plywood skinned, and also supported the ash tailskid.
   To retain fore and aft sensitivity, the fixed tailplane surface was reduced in area. It was surfaced with plywood and braced to the vertical fin by light steel tube struts. Both rudder and elevator were of steel tube framing, horn balanced and fabric covered.
   The wings were almost identical to those of the earlier C X and of the same wooden construction based on two box spars, the front spar being in close proximity to the leading edge and the rear spar at approximately mid-chord. Ailerons, again at all four wingtips, were of steel tube framing, aerodynamically balanced and hinged to a false spar. The aerofoil-shaped radiator mounted in the starboard centre-section was retained, as was the large centre-section cut-out.
   Due to the revision of the fuselage, alteration of the undercarriage became necessary, the forward struts of which had to be lengthened considerably. Otherwise the chassis was very much the same, with streamlined steel tube vees, the usual elastic cord shock absorbers and the inevitable claw brake in the centre of the axle.
   The C XII came into quite widespread service on the Western Front With the Fl. Abt. and Fl. Abt. (A) Flights during 1918, and remained in operation until the cessation of hostilities.

TECHNICAL DATA
   Purpose: Two-seat reconnaissance and general purposes.
   Manufacturers:
   Albatros Werke G.m.b.H. (Alb.).
   Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (O.A.W.).
   Bayerische Flugzeug Werke (Bay.).
   Linke-Hofmann Werke (Li.). Possibly.
   Power Plant: 260 h.p. Mercedes D IVa. 6 cylinder in-line, water cooled.
   Dimensions: Span, 14.370 m. (47 ft. 1 7/8 in.); 14.24 m. (O.A.W.) (46 ft. ft. 6 3/4 in.). Length. 8.850 m. (29 ft. 0 3/8 in.). Height, 3.250 m. (10 ft. 7/8 in.). Wing area, 42.7 sq.m. (461.16 sq.ft.).
   Weights: Empty, 1,021 kg. (2,246 lb.). Loaded, 1,639 kg. (3.606 lb. I.
   Performance: Maximum speed, 175 km.hr. (109.4 m.p.h.). Initial climb, 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 5 min. Ceiling, 5,000 m. (16,400 ft.). Duration, 3 hr. 15 in.
   Armament: One fixed gun firing forward for pilot. One free-firing machine-gun for observer. Light bomb loads carried on external racks as tactical demand arose.

J.Herris Albatros Aircraft of WWI. Vol 2: Late Two-Seaters (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 25)

Albatros C.XII

   The Albatros C.XI was apparently not built, the next Albatros two-seater being the C.XII. The C.XII was a refined derivative of the C.X whose development began in December 1916. The C.XII retained the engine, wings, and structural technology of the C.X combined with a more refined fuselage of more streamlined shape. A look at the Albatros C.VIIIN shows a fuselage and tail very similar to the C.XII, and the C.XII fuselage apparently was derived from the C.VIIIN, with longer nose to accommodate the larger engine and a longer tail to balance it. This was similar to the process used to develop the D.V fighter from the D.III and was similarly ineffective. The empty weight of the C.XII was reduced from the 1,088 kg of the C.X to 1,020 kg, a useful but not dramatic change that made little impact on performance.
   Like the C.X, the C.XII was equipped with the standard two-seater armament of a fixed gun for the pilot and flexible gun for the observer. Cameras and wireless could be installed, and the C.XII could also carry light bombs. The streamlined fuselage had less keel surface so a larger vertical tail supplemented with a fin under the tail were used for stability. The rounded fuselage required longer landing gear legs and the track was increased to 2.20 meters from the 1.95 meters of the C.X for more stability during ground handling. The C.XII cabane strut arrangement was significantly different from that of the C.X and, along with the presence of the under-fuselage fin, is a useful recognition feature distinguishing the two types.
   One of the C.XII prototypes, C.9314/16, was retrofitted with an eight-cylinder Mercedes D.IV engine, perhaps to evaluate using these engines in C.XII training machines.
   The first batch of 300 C.XII aircraft was ordered from Albatros in January, 1917, before the type test had been performed, which began on 1 March. Albatros started delivering C.XII aircraft in May and OAW and BFW-built C.XII deliveries began in June 1917.
   In service the elegant C.XII proved little faster than the C.X. Climb, ceiling, maneuverability, and handling were likely somewhat better due to the C.XII's reduced weight, although this is not reflected in the specifications. This was true of the Johannisthal-built aircraft but OAW-built aircraft proved heavier than those built at Johannisthal, and this extra weight reduced their climb and ceiling to that of the C.X. Despite having the same engine as the Rumpler C.IV and a nearly identical empty weight, the Rumpler was more maneuverable with better handling and slightly faster with far superior climb and ceiling.
   Albatros had slowly evolved their designs from the C.VII through C.X to C.XII. In contrast, Rumpler had taken a bold new approach with their 200 hp C.III and endured major development issues with that aircraft. This paid of when availability of the 260 hp Mercedes enabled the Rumpler C.IV based on the C.III airframe developed with such difficulty. Now Rumpler had a much more efficient wing cellule than Albatros that accounted for the performance difference.
   In service the C.XII suffered serious radiator leakage problems. The radiator housing was a stressed part of the cabane structure and flight loads were transmitted to the radiator housing, causing the soldered seams to leak. By itself this restricted flight duration and required constant repairs.
   Despite its disappointing performance, the C.XII was built in significant numbers and saw service on both the Western and Eastern Fronts. Combat experience soon revealed the C.XII was too vulnerable for long-range reconnaissance missions on the Western Front. First it was relegated to general-purpose, shorter-range reconnaissance duties, then it was removed from active service there, although it continued in service on the less demanding Eastern Front into 1918. Operational service also revealed the streamlined fuselage of the C.XII was not as robust as earlier Albatros C-types and many C.XII aircraft were destroyed in landing accidents, a heavy landing often resulting in the fuselage being broken in two - or even into three pieces.
   Once removed from the front the C.XII was used for training duties, where together with the C.X it continued to demonstrate more difficult handling qualities than earlier Albatros C-types.


Albatros C-Type Specifications
Albatros C.XII Albatros C.XII(OAW) Albatros C.XIII Albatros C.XIV Albatros C.XV
Engine 260 hp Mercedes D.IVa 260 hp Mercedes D.IVa 160 hp Mercedes D.III 220 hp Benz Bz.IVa 220 hp Benz Bz.IVa
Span, Upper 14.37 m 14.24 m 10.00 m 10.4 m 11.8 m
Span, Lower 13.01 m 12.92 m - - -
Chord, Upper 1.8 m 1.8 m - - -
Chord, Lower 1.6 m 1.6 m - - -
Gap 1.73 m (inboard) 1.80 m (outboard) 1.73 m (inboard) 1.80 m (outboard) - - -
Wing Area 42.7 m2 42.7 m2 - - -
Wing Dihedral 3° (upper), 2.5° (lower) 3° (upper), 2.5° (lower) - - -
Length 8.85 m 8.85 m 7.8 m 6.9 m 7.47 m
Height 3.40 m 3.40 m 2.71 m - 3.33 m
Empty Weight 1,020-1,115 kg 1,040-1,115 kg 700 kg 950 kg 859 kg
Loaded Weight 1,638-1,733 kg 1,658-1,733 kg 1,060 kg 1,385 kg 1,320 kg
Maximum Speed 175 km/h 175-180 km/h 165 km/h - 165 km/h
Climb to 1,000m 5 minutes 5 minutes 4 minutes - 3.4 minutes
Climb to 2,000m 11 minutes 11 minutes - - -
Climb to 3,000m 19 minutes 19 minutes - - -
Climb to 4,000m 30 minutes 30 minutes - - -
Climb to 5,000m 45 minutes 45 minutes 47 minutes - -
Climb to 6,000m - - - - 47 minutes
Duration 314 hours - 2.5 hours 3.5 hours 3 hours


Albatros C.XII Production Orders
Order Date Mfr Qty Serials
Dec. 1916 Alb 3 C.9312-9314/16 (1)
Jan. 1917 Alb 150 C.1050-1199/17 (2)
Jan. 1917 OAW 150 C.1200-1349/17 (3)
Feb. 1917 BFW 200 (4) C.1800-1999/17
March 1917 Li 25 (5) C.2350-2374/17
Notes: 1. Prototypes. 2. No data from C.l 150/17 on. 3. All delivered. 4. Last 20 aircraft (1980-1999/17) cancelled. 5. Order cancelled. Total 528 ordered, 483 completed, 433 delivered.

P.Grosz, G.Haddow, P.Shiemer Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One

Albatros C.XII

  In 1917, the possibility of manufacturing the German Albatros C.XII under license was discussed by the LFT, but the appearance of the promising Phonix C.I and UFAG C.I reconnaissance biplanes put an end to the proposal.