Entering service in 1915, the Rumpler C.I, (company designation 5A 2), two-seater single-engine reconnaissance biplane, was one of the first German C-type aircraft, and also one of the longest serving in its class during World War I, being retired from the last front line units only in early 1918.

Design and development

The C.I was a successful design, it was used on the Western and Eastern Fronts as well as in Macedonia, Salonika and Palestine. Early production examples were armed only with a single Parabellum machine gun on a Schneider ring mounting, but later aircraft had additionally a synchronised Spandau machine gun on the port side of fuselage. When used as a light bomber the C.I could also carry 100kg of bombs.

In addition to the parent company Rumpler, the C.I was also produced by the Germania Flugzeugwerke, the Märkische Flugzeug-Werke, the Hannoversche Waggonfabrik and the Albert Rinne Flugzeug-Werke from 1915 to 1917. Variants included the C.Ia, which used a 180hp Argus As.III engine instead of Mercedes D.III, the C.II, of which there's no evidence that any were actually built, 6B 1 single-seat floatplane fighter, and a Rumpler-built batch of C.Is intended for training which omitted the gun ring in the rear cockpit and was powered by a 150hp Benz Bz.III.

It was this training role in which the C.I was latterly used, its friendly handling qualities making it suitable to be flown even by inexperienced pilots.

Operators

• Luftstreitkrafte

  Latvian Air Force - Postwar.

  Lithuanian Air Force - Postwar. 3 aircraft (No. 2699, 4936, 8144) purchased in 1919.

  Polish Air Force - Postwar.

  Ottoman Air Force

  Royal Yugoslav Air Force - Postwar.

Specifications (C.I)

See also

References

Further reading