Rumpler C.IV

C.IV

Role	Reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer	Rumpler Flugzeugwerke
Designer	Dr. Edmund Rumpler
Introduction	1917
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Variants	Rumpler 6B-2

The Rumpler C.IV was a German single-engine, two-seat reconnaissance biplane. The C.IV was a development of C.III with different tail surfaces and using a Mercedes D.IVa engine in place of C.III's Benz Bz.IV. In addition to the parent company, the aircraft was also built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke as the Pfalz C.I. Another variant of the basic design was the Rumpler 6B-2 single-seat floatplane fighter, with a 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine, built for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy).

For a two-seater reconnaissance aircraft, Rumpler C.IV had an excellent performance, which enabled it to remain in front-line service until the end of World War I on the Western Front, as well as in Italy and Palestine. Its exceptional ceiling allowed pilots to undertake reconnaissance secure in the knowledge that few allied aircraft could reach it.

For use during filming, Slingsby Sailplanes built two Slingsby T.58 Rumpler C.IV replicas. While these were visually similar to the original aircraft, they were structurally completely different, having a steel-tube fuselage structure and wooden wings, and being powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine.^[1]

Operators

German Empire

Luftstreitkrafte
Kaiserliche Marine

Switzerland

Swiss Air Force

Turkey

Ottoman Air Force

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Yugoslav Royal Air Force - Postwar.

Specifications (C.IV)

Rumpler C.IV as seen in Deutsches Museum

Rumpler C.IV inside visible

Data from German Aircraft Of The First World War ^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 2, pilot and observer
Length: 8.41 m. (27 ft 7 in.)
Wingspan: 12.66 m. (41 ft 6½ in.)
Height: 3.25 m. (10 ft 8 in.)
Wing area: 33.5 m² (361.8 ft)
Empty weight: 1,080 kg (2,376 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,530 kg (3,366 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.IVa water-cooled in-line, 194 kW (260 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 171 km/h (92 kn, 107 mph) at 500 m (1,640 ft)
Service ceiling: 6,400 m ^[3] (21,000 ft)
Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
Endurance: 3½-4 hr

Armament

1 × fixed, forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 with an interruptor gear
1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun on a ring mounting
100 kg (220 lb) of bombs

References

Notes

↑ Taylor 1969, pp. 225–226.
↑ Gray and Thetford 1962, p.201.
↑ Munson 1967, p.99.

Bibliography

Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London, Putnam, 1962.
Munson, Kenneth. Aircraft of World War I. London: Ian Allan, 1967. ISBN 0-7110-0356-4.
Munson, Kenneth. Bombers, Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft 1914 - 1919. ISBN 0-7537-0918-X
Munson, Kenneth. Fighters, Attack and Training Aircraft 1914 - 1919. ISBN 0-7537-0916-3.
Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1969. ISBN 0-354-00051-9.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rumpler aircraft.

A page about Max Psaar, an ethnic Sorbian Rumpler C.IV pilot of Luftstreitkräfte (in German).
Page on Rumpler C.IV on website Deutsches museum

Aircraft produced by Rumpler

6B B.I C.I C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X D.I G.I G.II G.III

World War I aircraft of the Central Powers

Fighters	AEG D.I AEG Dr.I Albatros D.I Albatros D.II Albatros D.III Albatros D.V Aviatik D.I Aviatik C.VI Daimler L.6 Euler D.I Euler D.II Fokker D.I Fokker D.II Fokker D.III Fokker D.IV Fokker D.V Fokker D.VI Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VIII Fokker Dr.I Fokker E.I Fokker E.II Fokker E.III Fokker E.IV Fokker E.V Halberstadt D.II Hannover CL.II Hannover CL.III Hannover CL.IV Hannover CL.V Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Junkers D.I Kondor D.6 Kondor E.III Naglo D.II Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.XII Pfalz Dr.I Pfalz E.I Pfalz E.II Phönix D.I LFG Roland D.II LFG Roland D.VI Siemens-Schuckert D.I Siemens-Schuckert D.II Siemens-Schuckert D.III Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Siemens-Schuckert L.I Zeppelin-Lindau D.I

Bombers and ground attack	AEG DJ.I AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG J.I AEG J.II AEG R.I Friedrichshafen G.II Friedrichshafen G.III Gotha G.I Gotha G.II Gotha G.III Gotha G.IV Gotha G.V Gotha GL.VII Gotha G.IX Hannover CL.II Junkers CL.I Junkers J.I Rumpler G.I Rumpler G.II Rumpler G.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.IV Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI

Reconnaissance	AEG B.I AEG B.II AEG B.III AEG C.I AEG C.II AEG C.III AEG C.IV AEG C.V AEG C.VI AEG C.VII AEG C.VIII AGO C.I AGO C.II AGO C.III AGO C.IV AGO C.VII AGO C.VIII Albatros B.I Albatros B.II Albatros C.I Albatros C.III Albatros C.V Albatros C.VII Albatros C.IX Albatros C.X Albatros C.XII Aviatik B.I Aviatik B.II Aviatik C.I Aviatik C.VI DFW C.V LFG Roland C.II LVG B.I LVG C.II Rumpler C.I Rumpler C.IV Rumpler Taube

Trainers	Euler D.I

Prototypes	Albatros C.II Fokker V.1 Fokker V.2 Junkers J 1 Junkers J 2 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I

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

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