В.Кондратьев Самолеты первой мировой войны

LVG B-I/B-II/C-I/C-II/C-III/C-IV

МОДИФИКАЦИИ
  
   B-II - выпущен в 1915 году. От предшественника отличался меньшими размерами, отсутствием лыжи и рядом других, несущественных изменений. Двигатель "Мерседес", 100 или 120 л.с. Помимо фирмы-разработчика, выпускался в больших количествах на заводах Отто и Шютте-Ланц. Применялся на западном и восточном фронтах. Несколько экземпляров передано Турции.
  
  
ЛЕТНО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ
  
   B-II
   Размах, м 12,10
   Длина, м 8,00
   Высота, м
   Площадь крыльев, м2
   Сухой вес, кг 697
   Взлетный вес, кг 1075
   Скорость максимальная, км/ч 105
   Время набора высоты, м/мин 1000/8
   Потолок, м 3000
   Продолжительность полета, ч
   Экипаж, чел 2

А.Александров, Г.Петров Крылатые пленники России

Если уже знакомый читателю Генрих Бир являлся в довоенный период техническим директором компании ДФВ и в какой-то степени был причастен к созданию модели МД14, то инженеру Францу Шнейдеру общество "Люфт-Феркерс" (Franz Schneider; Luft-Verkehrs GmbH, LVG = "Эльфауге") обязано своей первой оригинальной конструкцией, двухместным бипланом типа ДIV, получившим затем военное обозначение Б. I (DIV; B.I). Рождение компании произошло примерно на год раньше, в декабре 1911г. Тогда ее штат насчитывал 30 человек рабочих, собравших 2 аэроплана; в 1914 г. 450 рабочих фирмы изготовили 600 аппаратов, из них 590 для армии. Естественно, после объявления войны самолеты "Эльфауге" марки Б. I, оснащенные "стандартными" 100-сильными моторами "Мерседес" или, в редких случаях, "Бенцами" 110 л. с, оказались очень нужны, хотя ни скоростью, ни другими характеристиками, да и самой конструкцией, они вовсе не выделялись среди прочих типов. Весной 1915 г. на смену модели Б. I пришла модель Б. II, отличавшаяся более мощным "Мерседесом" марки Д. II, 120 л. с, меньшим размахом крыльев, вырезом - для улучшения обзора - в центроплане верхней плоскости и т. д. По лицензии самолеты "Эльфауге" названных модификаций производились фирмами "Отто Верке" и "Люфтфарцойгбау Шютте-Ланц" (Otto-Werke GmbH, Luftfahrzeugbau Schutte-Lanz). На снимке 9, слева, виден аппарат типа Б. I, с характерным для этой модели левым выхлопным коллектором, направленным вниз. В то же время, помещенный между центральных стоек расходный топливный бак, но больших размеров, был присущ и машинам "Эльфауге Б. II", одна из которых представлена на снимке 10. Ее подкрыльевой резервуар находится слева от осевой линии, что выдает аппарат постройки завода "Шютте-Ланц"; 120-сильный "Мерседес" оснащался правым выхлопным патрубком, выбрасывавшим отработанные газы вверх, а секционные радиаторы "Хазет" сменились лобовым радиатором перед кромкой несущей поверхности. Характерной особенностью бипланов "Эльфауге" являлась зигзагообразная задняя кромка элеронов, тогда как 2 пары направляющих для метания бомб под кабиной наблюдателя выдают военное предназначение самолета. Все-таки основное применение модель Б. II нашла в германских авиашколах, и даже после войны исследовавшие немецкую авиаиндустрию контролеры Антанты признали, что тип служил "прекрасной учебной машиной".

O.Thetford, P.Gray German Aircraft of the First World War (Putnam)

L.V.G. B I, II and III

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   The L.V.G. B II was very similar to the B I, but it had small improvements to obtain better operational efficiency. These did not alter the outward appearance very noticeably, apart from the reduction in wingspan. The main points which distinguished the B II from the B I were the siting of the gravity tank along the apex of the centre-section trestle (those built by Schutte-Lanz were offset slightly to port of the centre-section), the positioning of the rear cockpit farther aft and the introduction of a semicircular cut-out in the upper wing - all with a view to improving pilot visibility. The tailplane was braced to the underside of the fuselage with a single steel-tube strut instead of by two as formerly. Another change was the introduction of the 120 h.p. Mercedes D II, which was almost universally used on the B II, with consequent location of the downswept exhaust on the starboard side.
   The L.V.G. B II became the main production model, and from the spring of 1915 it was used on scouting and reconnaissance sorties, but its main use was as a school machine. Production was carried on by both the Otto and Schutte-Lanz factories in addition to the parent firm.
   The B II was undoubtedly a good flying machine, and was, in fact, assessed by the Inter-Allied Commission which investigated the German aircraft industry after the Armistice as "an excellent school machine". Naturally the trainer version was fitted with dual controls, and many of the later machines had frontal radiators mounted against the centre-section leading edge.
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TECHNICAL DATA
   Description: Unarmed two-seat scout, reconnaissance and training aircraft.
   Manufacturers: Luft-Verkehrs Gesellschaft m.b.H. Johannisthal (Lvg.).
   Sub-contractors: Otto-Werke G.m.b.H., Luftfahrzeugbau Schutte-Lanz.
   Power Plant: One 100 h.p. Mercedes D I or 120 h.p. D II 6 cylinder in-line water-cooled engine.
   Dimensions: Span, 12.12 m. (39 ft. 9 1/8 in.). Length, 8.30 m. (27 ft. 2 3/4 in.). Height 2.935 m. (9 ft. 8 in.). Area, 35.42 sq.m. (381.5 sq.ft.).
   Weights: Empty, 726 kg. (1,597.2 lb.). Loaded, 1,074 kg. (2,362.8 lb.).
   Performance: Maximum speed, 105 km.hr. (65.626 m.p.h.) at 1,000 m. Climb, 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 12 min. Duration, 4 hr. on 173 litres fuel.
   Armament: None.

   N.B. Above data applies to Schutte-Lanz built B II fitted with 100 h.p. Mercedes D I motor and leading-edge radiator. Trainer version as in drawing.

J.Herris LVG Aircraft of WWI. Vol.1: B-Types & C.I (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 34)

LVG B-Types

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  The LVG B.II was a smaller, lighter derivative of the B.I designed to provide better performance and agility. The B.II followed the B.I into production and service and by the end of August 1915 finally exceeded the number of B.I aircraft at the. front.
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LVG B-Type Specifications
LVG B.l LVG B.II LVG B.III
Engine 100 hp Mercedes D.I 120 hp Mercedes D.II 120 hp Mercedes D.II
120 hp Mercedes D.II 110 hp Benz Bz.II
120 hp Argus As.II
110 hp Benz Bz.II
Span, Upper 14.5 m 12.12 m 12.51 m
Span, Lower 12.5 m - -
Gap 1.95 m - -
Wing Area 42.5 m2 - -
Length 9.00 m 8.3 m 7.89 m
Empty Weight 765 kg 726 kg 710 kg
Loaded Weight 1,132 kg 1,074 kg 1,042 kg
Maximum Speed 90-100 km/h 105 km/h 120 km/h
Climb to 800 m 14 minutes - -
Climb to 2,000 m 24.5 minutes - -
Climb to 3,000 m - - 28 minutes
Note: The B.I wings had 2° dihedral and 40 cm sweepback.


LVG B-Type Production
Known LVG B-Type Production - 1913
Type Qty Serials Notes
B.I 4 51/13 - 54/13
B.I 12 93/13 - 104/13
B.I? 2 108/13 - 109/13
B.I 13 134/13 - 146/13
B.I 7 153/13 - 159/13
B 14 160/13 - 173/13 Euler B.I (Series I)
B.I 18 174/13 - 191/13
B.I 1 244/13
B.I 3 257/13-259/13
B.I 6 274/13-279/13
The serial blocks are not necessarily complete.


Known LVG B-Type Production - 1914
Type Qty Serials Notes
B.I 3 1/14-3/14 Lowest/highest known (1/3)
B.I 1 7/14
B.I 6 12/14-17/14 Lowest/highest known (12/17)
B.I 1 21/14
B 12 40/14-51/14 Euler B.I (Series II)
B 5 55/14-59/14 Lowest/highest known (55/59)
B 16 142/14- 157/14 Euler B.I (Series III/IV)
B.I 4 204/14-207/14 Lowest/highest known (204/207)
B.I 7 212/14-218/14 Lowest/highest known (212/218)
B.I 9 223/14-231/14 Lowest/highest known (223/231)
B 18 403/14-420/14 Euler B.I (Series V)
B.I 1 518/14
B.I 21 571/14-591/14
B.I 69 888/14-956/14
B.I 20 1051/14- 1070/14
B 23 1105/14-1127/14 B.I/B.II mix?
The serial blocks are not necessarily complete, or interrupted by other types in case of single acquisition. 1914 is especially troublesome, as most information is missing. Airplanes were acquired in bits and pieces and civil aircraft were taken over. In addition, a lot of serials came from the late historian Peter M. Grosz, but there seems to be a mix up with Bavarian aircraft, which got separate Bavarian serials. To complicate things even more, airplanes of the Bavarian sequence got a 'pseudo-Idflieg' serial with the addition of the year of manufacture to the Bavarian serial (i.e. Otto LVG 154 was transformed into LVG B.154/14). This Bavarian trouble is related to the serials 1-200 in 1914 and 1915.

Known LVG B-Type Production - 1915
Type Qty Serials Notes
B.I 131 200/15-330/15 LVG B.I, Lowest/highest known (201/329)
B 20 331/15-350/15 Euler B.I (Series VI)
B.I 1 472/15 LVG B.I
B 2 481/15-482/15 Euler B.I
B.II 20 709/15-728/15 LVG B.II
B 63 731/15-793/15 LVG B.II or mix of B.I/B.II
B.I 130 971/15- 1099/15 LVG B.II or mix of B.I/B.II
B 6 1307/15- 1312/15 LVG
B.I 12 1361/15- 1372/15 Euler B.I (Series VII)
B 8 1503/15- 1510/15 LVG B.II(Ot) with machine gun rail
B 56 1562/15- 1617/15 LVG B(Ot)
The serial blocks are deduced from known serials and are surely incomplete.


Known LVG B-Type Production - 1916 & 1917
Type Qty Serials Notes
B.I 20 620/16-639/16 LVG B.I(Ot) built by Otto in Munich as trainers
B.IIa 200 1350/17-1549/17 LVG B.IIa(Schul); Schutte-Lanz built as trainers
B.III 100 2300/17-2399/17 LVG B.III(SSW); SSW-built as trainers
B.III 100 2800/17-2899/17 LVG B.III(Eu); Euler-built as trainers
B.III 100 3200/17-3299/17 LVG B.III; LVG-built as trainers
B.III 300 3300/17-3599/17 LVG B.III(Schul); Schutte-Lanz-built as trainers
There seems to be additional orders for 200 B.III from LVG and 100 B.III from Hansa.


LVG B.II
  
  The LVG B.II was a smaller, lighter, more agile development of the popular and successful LVG B.I. Reducing the wingspan, length, and weight moderately improved performance and maneuverability compared to the B.I. However, the structure was essentially the same other than the reduced dimensions and the B.II retained the robust reliability of the B.I. Like the B.I, engine cowling panels were aluminum, the cockpit sides were plywood, and the rear fuselage and flying surfaces were wood with fabric covering.
  Production of the B.II started late in 1914 and the first B.II aircraft arrived at the front by December. From then on the B.II supplemented, then gradually replaced the B.I. By August 1915 the number of B.II aircraft at the front slightly exceeded the number of B.I aircraft, and the B.II remained at the front for a short time after the B.I was withdrawn. Once withdrawn from the front the B.II continued to serve successfully as a trainer due to its robust structure and good handling qualities.

M.Dusing German Aviation Industry in WWI. Volume 1 (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 84)

Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH, Koslin (now Koszalin, Poland) (LVG)

Foundation:

  The company, a subsidiary of Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH Berlin, was founded on September 1, 1915.


Aircraft Development:

  From the flight school established in Koslin in the spring of 1914, the branch factory was created due to the good local location of the airfield and favorable working conditions because of low labor costs.
  After completion of the building erected for fabrication, repair work on Lvg B.I and B.II aircraft was started, until an order for the production of Lvg B II front-line aircraft followed in January 1916. In April 1916, the company was awarded another order on 10 aircraft, Sablatnig type. As orders on front-line aircraft failed to materialize in September 1916, repairs were resumed in the workshops. In October 1916, LVG Koslin received a smaller order to supply seaplanes to the Reichs-Marine-Amt.
  In May 1917, the parent company, having expanded enormously, placed an order with the Koslin branch for the delivery of 200 Alb C.III(LVG) aircraft, which was subsequently increased to 300 aircraft (with a capacity of 40 aircraft per month).