AEG G.II
| Industry | Electrical equipment, aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1883 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Aircraft (including AEG G.II bomber) |
The AEG G.II was a biplane bomber developed by the German firm Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG) during World War I for use by the Imperial German Army's air arm, the Luftstreitkräfte. Serving as an enhanced iteration of the AEG G.I, this model featured upgraded engines. Its standard armament included two 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine guns and it could carry up to 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs. The aircraft experienced issues with stability, leading to many units being fitted with extra rudders to improve handling in flight.
Development
On 1 April 1915, prior to the combat testing of the G.I, the Inspectorate of Flying Troops (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen or Idflieg) commissioned a production run of six G.IIs, designated GZ2 by the manufacturer. These planes were equipped with water-cooled 150-horsepower (110 kW) Benz Bz.III straight-six piston engines, armed with a single 7.92 mm (0.312 in) machine gun, and capable of carrying a bomb load of 200 kilograms (440 lb) alongside 150 kg (330 lb) of armor plating ranging from 1.5 to 2.3 mm (0.059 to 0.091 in) in thickness to protect the forward gunner. Although designed with three seats, the crew typically consisted of two personnel. Due to concerns regarding the aircraft's single-engine flight capability, AEG extended the steel-tube fuselage and increased the size of both the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The G.II was intended to operate either as a battleplane (Kampfflugzeug) or as an aerial cruiser tasked with escorting bombers or reconnaissance aircraft while engaging enemy fighters. A subsequent order for twelve additional units was placed on 6 May, again before any combat evaluation results from the G.I were available.
The initial batch’s modifications aimed at ensuring stability on one engine proved insufficient, prompting various retrofits on these early aircraft. Most were altered by enlarging the existing vertical stabilizer and rudder, or by adding two extra rudders mounted on the horizontal stabilizers. Some also replaced their original blunt armored noses with sleeker unarmored designs. These adaptations became standard in all second and later production runs. In September, two further orders totaling eighteen aircraft were placed; however, only three or four from the final batch of twelve were delivered. The peak number of operational G.IIs reported at the front was thirteen in December 1915, and they remained active in frontline service until June 1917.
Although additional machine guns were installed, the concept of using the G.II as a battleplane failed because its speed was insufficient to intercept quicker and more agile fighters. The Idflieg assessment noted that while the G.II "performed poorly in air combat, it was effectively employed as a bomber within squadron formations."
Specifications (AEG G.II)
See also
References
Bibliography
- Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. Putnam, London, 1987 (2nd edition).
- Herris, Jack. A.E.G. Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Aeronaut Books, 2015.
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