AEG C.I

AEG

Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Headquarters	Germany
Products	Aircraft

The AEG C.I was a two-seat biplane designed for reconnaissance missions, produced by the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) during the First World War to serve the Imperial German Army (Deutsches Heer) through its air branch, the Luftstreitkräfte. This model represented an evolution of the earlier B.II training aircraft, incorporating enhancements such as an observer-operated machine gun, an upgraded engine, and redesigned wings. Its maiden flight occurred in 1915, and it remained active in combat roles until mid-1916 before transitioning to a trainer role.

Development

Derived from the B.II platform, the C.I featured a water-cooled 150-horsepower (110 kW) Benz Bz.III inline six-cylinder engine, while the wing configuration was altered to a two-bay arrangement. The aircraft preserved the B.II's wing-folding capability. Modifications to the rear cockpit allowed for an observer equipped with a single 7.92-millimetre (0.312 in) machine gun, typically a Parabellum MG 14, though occasionally a Bergmann MG 15nA was used.

In early 1915, the Inspectorate of Flying Troops (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen) placed an initial order for six C.I units, with the first completed by March of that year. Subsequently, four additional orders totaling sixty-four aircraft were placed over several months. The peak front-line deployment reached 34 aircraft on both February 28 and April 30, 1916; following this period, all C.I models were reassigned to training units, as no front-line assignments were recorded by June 30.