Halberstadt CL.IV

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The Halberstadt CL.IV was a German ground attack aircraft of World War I.

Design and development

Karl Thies, chief designer of the Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke, G.m.b.H., designed the CL.IV as a replacement for the CL.II. As the CL.II had proven to be particularly effective in the ground support role, the focus of an improved version was to create a specific ground attack aircraft.

The new CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a horizontal stabilizer of greater span and higher aspect ratio than that of the CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater maneuverability than its predecessor. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland).

Operational history

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its good maneuverability to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Flights of four to six aircraft flew close support missions, at an altitude of less than one hundred feet, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops. After these late German offensives stalled, Halberstadt CL.IVs were used to disrupt advancing Allied offensives by striking at enemy troop assembly points and night sorties were also made against Allied airfields.

Towards the end of the war, on bright, moonlit nights, CL.IV squadrons attempted to intercept and destroy Allied bombers as they returned from their missions.

Operators

Estonia

Estonian Air Force^[1]

German Empire

Luftstreitkräfte

Specifications

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: two
Length: 6.54 m (21 ft 5¹⁄₂ in)
Wingspan: 10.74 m (35 ft 2⁷⁄₈ in)
Height: 2.67 m (8 ft 9¹⁄₈ in)
Wing area: 27 m² (297 sq ft)
Empty weight: 728 kg (1,605 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,068 kg (2,354 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder inline engine, 120 kW (160 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 165 km/h (103 mph)
Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 32 min
Endurance: 3.25 hours

Armament

1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine gun, synchronized
1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun, on ring mount for observer
Grenades
Up to 5 × 10 kg (20 lb) bombs

References

Notes

↑ Gerdessen 1982, p.76
↑ Gray and Thetford 1962, p. 142.

Bibliography

Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918 - 1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April - July 1982. Pages 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halberstadt CL.IV.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Halberstadt CL.IV

v t e Aircraft produced by Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke

A.II B.I B.II B.III C.I CL.II C.III CL.IV C.V C.VII C.VIII C.IX CLS.I CLS.X D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.V G.I

v t e Idflieg C-, CL-, CS-, and CLS-class aircraft designations

C- and CL-	AEG C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII AGO C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.VII C.VII Albatros C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X C.XI C.XII C.XIII C.XIV C.XV Aviatik C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VI C.VIII C.IX BFW CL.I CL.II CL.III CL.IV DFW C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI Fokker C.I Friedrichshafen C.I Germania C.I C.II C.IV Halberstadt C.I CL.II C.III CL.IV C.V C.VII C.VIII C.IX CLS.X Hannover C.I CL.II CL.III CL.IV CL.V Junkers CL.I LFG/Roland C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VIII LVG C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VIII OAW C.I C.II Otto C.I C.II Pfalz C.I Rumpler C.I C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X Sablatnig C.I C.II C.III Schütte-Lanz C.I Zeppelin-Friedrichshafen C.I C.II Zeppelin-Lindau C.I C.II

CLS-	Albatros CLS.I Halberstadt CLS.I CLS.II (see also main sequence above) Junkers CLS.I

CS-	Zeppelin-Lindau CS.I

v t e Aviation in World War I

People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins

Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles

Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–1920) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Italian Military Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service

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Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

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