Albatros Flugzeugwerke GmbH was a German aircraft manufacturer best known for supplying the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.
The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded by Walter Huth and Otto Wiener on 20 December 1909. The company (and its subsidiary, Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW)) produced many capable fighter aircraft, notably the Albatros D.III and Albatros D.V, both designed by Robert Thelen. Albatros merged into Focke-Wulf in 1931.
History The company was founded in Berlin-Johannisthal in late 1909 by Enno Walther Huth as the Albatros Werke AG. The first aircraft the company produced was a French Antoinette monoplane, which they built under licence.
They then produced several versions of the Etrich Taube monoplane, as well the Doppeltaube biplane which used the same basic planform. A variety of other biplanes, with more conventional wing planforms were also built and flown.
In 1912, five Albatros F-2 were built. This was a development of the French Farman III biplane (hence the letter F) with a gondola for the crew and an Argus in-line engine instead of the original Gnome Omega rotary engine. Four were sold to Bulgaria where they took an active part in the 1912–1913 Balkan Wars.
On 16 October 1912, one of these carried out the first combat mission over Europe.I.Borislavov, R.Kirilov: The Bulgarian Aircraft, Vol.I: From Bleriot to Messerschmitt. Litera Prima, Sofia, 1996 (in Bulgarian)
During World War I, Albatros Flugzeugwerke produced about 10,300 aircraft, including fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. After the war, production of various civilian types was carried out.
Aircraft CompanyDesignationsIdflieg/RLMDesignationsFirstflightNumberbuiltTypeImageTauben/a ReconnaissanceDoppeltauben/a1910 ReconnaissanceL.1B.I1913 ReconnaissanceL.2B.II1914 ReconnaissanceL.3/GDDn/a19146Single-seat reconnaissanceL.4G.I19161BomberL.5/LDDB.III1917 ReconnaissanceL.6C.I1915629 ca.ReconnaissanceL.7C.I1915qv L.6ReconnaissanceL.8C.II1916 ReconnaissanceL.9/MEn/a Single-seat reconnaissanceL.10C.III19152271 ca.ReconnaissanceL.11G.II19161BomberL.12C.IV19161ReconnaissanceL.13C.I1915 ReconnaissanceL.14C.V1916400 ca.ReconnaissanceL.15D.I191650FighterL.16C.III1915qv L.10ReconnaissanceL.17D.II1916291FighterL.18C.VII1916600+ReconnaissanceL.19C.VIII N19171Night bomberL.20D.III19161,866FighterL.21G.III19169+BomberL.22D.IV19173FighterL.23C.IX1917 ReconnaissanceL.24D.V & D.Va19172500 ca.FighterL.25C.X1917300+ReconnaissanceL.26C.XIn/a0Reconnaissance projectL.27C.XII1917 ReconnaissanceL.28D.VI19171FighterL.29C.XIII19171Two-seat fighterL.30B.II1914 TrainerL.31C.XIV19181ReconnaissanceL.32C.Ia1915 TrainerL.33C.Ib1915 TrainerL.34D.VII19171FighterL.35D.VIIIn/a0FighterL.36Dr.I19171Triplane fighterL.37D.IX19171FighterL.38D.X19181FighterL.39Dr.II19181Triplane fighterL.40J.I1917240 ca.Ground attackL.41D.XI19182FighterL.42J.II19184+Ground attackL.43D.XII19182FighterL.44D.XIIIn/a0Fighter projectL.45D.XIIIan/a0Fighter projectL.46D.XIV19181Two-seat fighterL.47C.XV191850 ca.Two-seat fighterL.48J.IIIn/a0ground attack projectL.49/DA 1n/an/a0unknown projectL.50G.IVn/a0Bomber projectL.51C.If TrainerL.52C.I TrainerL.53CLS.I Ground attackL.54F.In/a0Reconnaissance projectL.55D.XVn/a0FighterL.56n/an/a0Airliner projectL.57n/an/a0Airliner projectL.58n/a19237AirlinerL.59n/a19231SportsplaneL.60n/a19233SportsplaneL.65n/a19252ReconnaissanceL.66n/a192410SportsplaneL.67n/a19242SportsplaneL.68n/a192618TrainerL.69n/a19254TrainerL.70n/a1925 Reconnaissance L.71n/a19252SportplaneL.72 & L 72An/a19255Newspaper distribution aircraft"A Flying Boat on Wheels" Flight 1926 L.73n/a19264AirlinerL.74n/a19282TrainerL.75 Assn/a192843TrainerL.76 Aeolusn/a19276TrainerL.77vn/a19284Fighter/reconnaissanceL.78n/a192813Reconnaissance L.79 Koboldn/a19292AerobaticsL.80n/an/a0Night bomber projectL.81 Elektran/a19321Experimental aircraftL.82n/a192972TrainerL.83 Adlern/a19312Airliner/transportL.84n/a19355FighterL.85-99 skippedL.100n/a19301Air racingL.101Al 101193071TrainerL.102Al 102193210TrainerL.103Al 10319331ExperimentalH.1n/an/a1altitude record (not flown)W.1/WDDB.II-W1913 Patrol floatplaneW.2n/a19161Patrol floatplaneW.3Marine 52719161Floatplane torpedo bomberW.4n/a1916118Floatplane fighterW.5Marine 845-84919175Floatplane torpedo bomberW.6n/a 1Floatplane fighterW.7n/a 1Floatplane fighterW.8Marine 5001-500319183Two-seat floatplane fighterW.10n/an/a0Flying boat project of 1922
References
External links
The Virtual Aviation Museum