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

L.V.G. E I
   Designed by Franz Schneider, this L.V.G. monoplane of 1915 was the first German aircraft to be fitted with both a fixed machine-gun for the pilot and manually operated machine-gun on ring mounting for the observer. There was undoubted promise in the design, but unfortunately the prototype was destroyed when being ferried to the Front for operational assessment by Lt. Wentsch. It was later found that the lower wing struts had not been screwed in sufficiently, and as a result the wings collapsed. No further examples were built. Engine, 120 h.p. Mercedes D II. Military Serial No.: E 600/15.

W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters

LVG E I Germany

   The first fighter of original design produced by the Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG) of Berlin-Johannisthal was a two-seat monoplane designed by Franz Schneider. This, the E I powered by a 120 hp Mercedes D II engine and flown in 1915, was fitted with both a synchronised machine gun for the pilot and a machine gun on a ring mounting for the second crew member. The LVG E I was unusual in that, unlike most contemporaries, it featured ailerons, most monoplanes at the time employing wing warping for control. Although a promising design, the sole prototype was lost while being ferried to the Front for operational evaluation. It was subsequently ascertained that the screws of the wing bracing struts had worked loose with the result that the wings had collapsed. No data relating to the LVG E I are available.