| LFG Roland C.II | |
|---|---|
| Role | Reconnaissance Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft G.m.b.H. |
| Designer | Dipl. Ing. Tantzen |
| First flight | 1915 |
| Introduction | 1916 |
| Primary user | Luftstreitkräfte |
The LFG Roland C.II, usually known as the Walfisch (Whale), was an advanced German reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was manufactured by Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft G.m.b.H.
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The C.II featured a monocoque fuselage built with an outer skin of two layers of thin plywood strips at an angle to each other (known as a Wickelrumpf, or "wrapped body" design). The deep fuselage completely filled the gap between the mainplanes and gave the aircraft its nickname.
The C.II was powered by a single 160 hp (120 kW) Mercedes D III, providing a top speed of 165 km/h, a ceiling of 4000m, and an endurance of four hours. The thin wings gave a mediocre rate of climb.
The C.II entered service in the spring of 1916. Operationally, handling was reported as difficult but performance was relatively good. It was also used in a fighter escort role and had a crew of two, pilot and observer/gunner.
General characteristics
Performance
A centrally mounted synchronized Spandau 7.92mm gun was provided for the pilot on later models. The observer had a Parabellum gun on a ring mounting. A tubular half-hoop "roll bar" was fitted between the cockpits to prevent possible damage to the airscrew from depressing the gun too much when firing forward.
A load of four 12.5 kg bombs could also be carried under the fuselage.
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