Rumpler C.VIII

C.VIII

Role	Advanced trainer Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Rumpler Flugzeugwerke
First flight	1917
Introduction	1917
Retired	1924 (Finland)
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte Finnish Air Force

The Rumpler C.VIII was a German single-engine biplane advanced trainer manufactured by Rumpler Flugzeugwerke, in Berlin Johannisthal in 1917.

Design and development

The C.VIII variant was developed with the intention of providing an operational trainer for aircrews nearing the end of their training with particular emphasis on the observers' curriculum of gunnery, observation, radio and photography. The aircraft was close to standards applicable to full military operation but could also be operated economically.

Operational history

A strategic need for improved and intensified training in connection with an ultimate offensive on the Western Front in March 1918 existed. To facilitate this higher standard of training, the C.VIII was introduced towards the end of 1917 with the Flieger Ersatz Abteilungen, i.e. Flying Training Units.

Operators

German Empire

Luftstreitkräfte

Finland

The Finnish Air Force ordered one aircraft in February 1918. It was used by the Finnish White army as a reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft remained in Finnish Air Force use until 1924.

Netherlands

The Dutch Air Force ordered 40 aircraft in 1918. The aircraft were traded, for among other, 5000 horses. The aircraft were used only briefly, because of a number of fires in the aircraft.

Poland

Polish Air Force 6 aircraft captured in 1918.

Specifications (C.VIII)

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War,^[1] and Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
Height: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 36.2 m² (390 sq ft)
Empty weight: 874 kg (1,927 lb)
Gross weight: 1,374 kg (3,029 lb)
Powerplant: × Argus As III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 134 kW (180 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 140 km/h (87 mph, 76 kn)
Endurance: approx. 4 hours
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Time to altitude:

1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 15 seconds

2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 11 minutes

3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 21 minutes

4,000 m (13,000 ft) in 37 minutes 30 seconds

Armament

Guns: 1x fixed-forward-firing synchronised 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LM 08 Spandau machine gun ; 1x flexibly mounted 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum MG 14 machine-gun in the rear cockpit
Bombs: 50 kg (110 lb) of bombs

References

^ Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. pp. 206–208. ISBN 0-370-00103-6.
^ Keskinen, Kalevi; Partonen, Kyösti; Stenman, Kari (2005). Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusliike Kari Stenman. ISBN 952-99432-2-9.

Herris, Jack (2014). Rumpler Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 11. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-21-6.
Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari; Niska, Klaus (1976). Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneet 1918-1939 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Tietoteos.

Rumpler aircraft

Taubes

Etrich-Rumpler Taube
Rumpler Taube
Rumpler Einheitstyp Taube
Rumpler Delphin Taube
Rumpler Renn-Taube/Rumpler Torpedo Eindecker
Rumpler Wasser-Taube
Rumpler-Loutzkoy Taube

Other early types

Rumpler-Brunsmann ornitopter
Rumpler-Eggers monoplane
Rumpler-Focke-Alberti monoplane
Rumpler-Fritsche triplane
Rumpler-Haefelin monoplane
Rumpler-Lippe helicopter
Rumpler-Pegelow monoplane
Rumpler-Plage biplane
Rumpler-Schudeisky biplane
Rumpler-Schweinchen monoplane
Rumpler-Sohlmann monoplane
Rumpler-Stein monoplane

Military designations

B Types	B.I
C Types	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
D Types	D.I
G Types	G.I G.II G.III

Company designations

1913	3C 3F
1914	4A & DDD 4A2 4A13 4A14 4A15 4B1 4B2 4B11 4B12 4B13 4C 4E
1915	5A2 5A3 5A4 5A15 5A16
1916	6A2 6A5 6A6 6A7 6A7 (2) 6A7 (3) 6A8 6B1 6B2 6G2 6G3 6G4
1917	7C1 7D1-7D8
1918	8C12 8C13 8C14 8C14 8D1

Idflieg C-, CL-, and CLS-class aircraft designations

C-

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.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX
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.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX
Caspar	C.I
DFW	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI
Fokker	C.I C.II C.III
Friedrichshafen	C.I
Germania	C.I C.II C.III C.IV
Halberstadt	C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VII C.VIII C.IX
Hannover	C.I C.IV
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.VII C.VIII C.IX
OAW	C.I C.II
Otto	C.I C.II
Pfalz	C.I
Rumpler	C.I C.II 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	C.I C.II