G.Haddow, P.Grosz The German Giants (Putnam)

Ago R-plane Project

   The "Rapport Technique", more commonly known as the "Inter-Allied Report", was the official publication of the Inter-Allied Aeronautical Control Commission, which was responsible for the control of aeronautical activities in Germany after the war. The "Inter-Allied Report" does contain numerous errors; yet surprisingly many of its "errors" have been proven correct by subsequent research into German wartime activities. The report does contain reference to an R-plane designed by Ago-Flugzeugwerke G.m.b.H. during the war.
   Ago was awarded a war patent (No. 310,096) on 30 September 1919 which describes an aircraft with three centrally mounted engines coupled to a common gear-box, which in turn drove four propellers spaced along the trailing edge of the wing. In April 1918, Ago ordered a test assembly from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft comprising three 160 h.p. Mercedes D.IIIav engines and suitable clutches connected to a right angle gear-box having two propeller drive shafts. It was planned to bench test this arrangement prior to using larger 500 h.p. engines. From available records, it seems Ago was considering a 3000 h.p. R-plane driven by four propellers. This project was in the preliminary design stage when the war ended.

J.Herris Otto, AGO and BFW Aircraft of WWI (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 37)

Ago R-Plane Project

   Ago also worked on an R-plane project. It has three engines in the fuselage and four pusher propellers at the wing trailing edge. This remained a project only with no prototype constructed.