M.Dusing Germania Flugzeugwerke and its Aircraft (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 41)

Germania C.I Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft

   Egwin Leiber tried to become known with his own aircraft developments, but met with little success.
   The Germania-C airplanes were also among his own developments. These were two-seater armed reconnaissance aircraft, which could also be used in air combat or even for firing at ground targets.
   The versions of the Germania C-types were combat two-seaters in the usual biplane design with two I-struts, engine completely covered, wooden construction, but with different radiator arrangements. The armament of the aircraft consisted of one front fixed machine gun LMG 08/15 Spandau and one 7.92 mm Parabellum machine gun mounted on a movable turret in the rear cockpit.
   Leiber used the just developed 260 hp Maybach Mb.IVa engine, the first real German high-altitude aero-engine. This engine solved the problem of "thin" air, i.e. the low air pressure at higher altitudes, with three different carburetor settings: "La" (engine start), "V" (full throttle, flight up to 1800 m altitude) and "H" (altitude gas, from 1800 m). This piston engine was actually developed for use in airships. Leiber was probably not happy with this engine, because it seems that the cooling of this heavy engine could not be guaranteed sufficiently. The only Germania C.I aircraft that was produced was rebuilt several times and was called Version A, B, and C in the following.

Germ C.I (Version A)

   This aeroplane was designed as a biplane with a unique 2-strut center section radiator mounted on the center section struts. This aircraft was rebuilt to the "Version B".

Germ C.I (Version B)

This aeroplane is very similar to the version A. The only visible differences are a 4-strut center section and ear radiators to cool the Maybach 260 PS MB.IVa engine.

Germ C.I (Version C)

   Egwin Leiber modified the only existing aeroplane a second time and installed a airfoil radiator located on the upper wing center section, which might have required the need for the N-strut center section.
   This aircraft underwent type testing in Berlin-Adlershof between 2 and 6 July 1918. Unfortunately, the results of the tests are not known, but it can be assumed that the performance was not satisfactory, as this was the only Germania C.I aircraft.