Data on Albatros CII/L8

[lone modeller]

Evening All

I am trying to find any information concerning an experimental type built by Albatros gmbh in 1916. It is the CII/L8 pusher 27/16 which was based on the CII and powered by a 150hp Benz IIIa engine. Apparently it was built as an experimental type following the capture of a British D. H. 2 which had impressed the German authorities. The project was not proceeded with probably because the much superior tractor DI was shortly to enter service.

I have found three photographs which show that it was a two bay, two seat biplane: I think that it used the wings of a standard CII aircraft. However I cannot find any drawings or data on the height, length of the nacelle or total length of the machine. The shape of the tail unit I can probably guess.

Does anyone have any information on this type? A drawing would be ideal but I doubt whether one exists. Any reference to photographs would also be helpful - I have one with a stripe on the nose and two others taken before the stripe was painted taken from the left side and left three quarter rear.

If anyone can supply any more information I would be very grateful as I would really like to try to scratch build one of these.

Many thanks for any help offered.

Stephen.

[Berman]

Stephen,
             Please post the three photos of this aircraft.

[lone modeller]

Apologies for the delay in posting these pictures and for the small size of two of them.







I hope that tis might help readers to identify the type and thus be able to provide dimensional data which I can use to attempt a scratch build in future.

Stephen.

[Bughunter]

Stephen, that is a difficult question!
I checked my book "German Aircraft of the First World War", but it contains only your second picture, no drawings or sizes.

You mention a engine "150hp Benz IIIa". I think the a is wrong, today Mercedes-Benz is one, but at that time there are different engine lines:
- the Mercedes D.III 160hp (and D.IIIa with overompression and more power) - not used here
- the Benz Bz III with 150hp, used on this plane (there are more developments of Bz IIIb and Bz IV, which I showed as mode here)

There is a article with sizes on Wikipedia, your Gitterschwanz is mentioned, but also the OAW (Albatros) C.II. So I do not know, it the dimensions are correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_C.II

May be you find some source, that wings are taken from another Albatros type - that would mean you can use that as base to recalculate the other dimensions.

Sorry, could not help further.

Cheers,
Frank

[lone modeller]

Frank,

Thank you very much for the reply, in particular for correcting my mistake re-engine. I should have known differently but I had become a little confused when writing my notes - you are correct that it was a 150hp Benz Bz III used on this aircraft.

I knew that the wings of the Albatros CI were used on this aircraft so I have the dimensions for those. My problem is in calculating the length of the machine and the size of the horizontal tail surfaces. I suspect that I will not be able to calculate those completely accurately and will have to use some guesswork there.

Thank you for your help - watch out in the scratch builds when I have finished my current project as this one may appear some time afterwards.

Stephen.