Zeppelin-Staaken R.V

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.V was one of a series of large bombers called Riesenflugzeugen, intended to be less vulnerable than the rigid airships in use at the time.

Zeppelin-Staaken R.V
R.V 13/15, shown with two-bladed propeller on the nose engine.
Role Bomber
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Schütte-Lanz
Designer Graf von Zeppelin
First flight 1917
Primary user Luftstreitkräfte
Number built 1
Variants Zeppelin-Staaken R.VII, Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV, Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV, Zeppelin-Staaken R.XVI,

Development

In 1916, Zeppelin moved development of large bombers to Staaken, Germany. The R.V was co-developed alongside the R.VI and R.VII. The R.V had two engine pods, each with two engines paired in tandem, driving single propellers through clutches, gearboxes and shafts. An additional tractor engine was also fitted in the nose of the fuselage. The pods were large enough for some inflight maintenance. The Model R.IV was selected for production, rather than the R.V, because the geared and clutched engines posed a higher developmental risk. Each R-series aircraft required a ground-crew of 50.

An early photograph of R.V 13/15, showing the original four-bladed propellers

Operational history

The sole R.V (R.V 13/15) was accepted into service with Rfa 501 (Riesenflugzeug Abteilung 501) on 23 December 1917, after a protracted development period, due to teething troubles with the engine transmission systems. After an initial operational mission on 25 January 1918, fifteen further operational missions were flown in eight months of service, before an emergency landing in fog ended its career on 18 October 1918.

Operators

Specifications (Zeppelin-Staaken R.V)

Data from [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: seven
  • Length: 23 m (75 ft 6 in)
  • Wingspan: 42.2 m (138 ft 5 in)
  • Height: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 332 m2 (3,570 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 9,450 kg (20,834 lb)
  • Gross weight: 13,010 kg (28,682 lb)
  • Useful load: 3,560 kg (7,850 lb)
  • Powerplant: 5 × Maybach Mb.IVa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engines, 183 kW (245 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn)
  • Endurance: 7 hours
  • Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft) approx.
  • Time to altitude:
    • 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 10 minutes.
    • 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 22 minutes.
    • 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 34 minutes.
  • Wing loading: 42 kg/m2 (8.6 lb/sq ft)

Armament

  • Guns: 5 x machine-guns in dorsal, ventral, upper wing and two nacelle positions

Notes
  1. Haddow, G.W.; PeterM Grosz (1988). The German Giants, The Story of the R-planes 1914-1919 (3rd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-812-7.

References
  • Rohrbach, A. K. (15 January 1921). "Das 1000-PS Verkehrsflugzeug der Zeppelin-Werke, Staaken". Zeitschrift für Flugtechnik und Motorluftschiffahrt. Vol. 12 no. 1.
  • Offermann, W. G., E.; Noack; Weyl, A. R. (1927). Riesenflugzeuge. Handbuch der Flugzeugkunde. Richard Carl Schmidt & Co.
  • Haddow, G.W.; Grosz, Peter M. The German Giants. London: Putnam.
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