Albatros C.VII

The Albatros C.VII was a military reconnaissance aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Albatros Flugzeugwerke. It was a revised and re-engined development of the Albatros C.V, which had proved disappointing in service. Developed relatively rapidly during 1916, the C.VII dispensed with the unreliable Mercedes D.IV engine that powered the earlier C.V in favour of the more dependable Benz Bz.IV; this change was accompanied by various modifications to accommodate that powerplant, effectively being a hybrid of the C.V/16 and C.V/17 designs. While considered to be a stop-gap aircraft, it incorporated various refinements to areas such as the flight control surfaces, which resulted in the C.VII possessing excellent handling qualities. Introduced to service with the Luftstreitkräfte during late 1916, it proved itself to be less troublesome than its predecessor. At one point, the C.VII comprised the bulk of all reconnaissance aircraft being operated by Germany during the First World War, roughly 350 aircraft were in service at the peak of operations. It saw action on all fronts of the conflict.

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