AEG B.I

The AEG B.I was a German two‑seat biplane developed during the early years of World War I. Designed by the electrical‑engineering firm AEG as its first foray into aircraft production, the B.I first flew in late 1914 and entered service with the Imperial German Army’s Fliegertruppe in early 1915. Powered by a 70‑horsepower Mercedes D.I inline engine, the aircraft featured a wooden frame covered with fabric, a single‑bay wing arrangement, and a fixed tailskid undercarriage. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot and an observer, the latter operating a 7.92 mm Parabellum MG14 machine gun on a flexible mount. Although modest in performance—maximum speed around 105 km/h and service ceiling near 3,500 m—the B.I proved reliable for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and basic training missions. The type’s straightforward construction and ease of maintenance made it a useful platform for novice pilots, and it served as the basis for later AEG B‑type developments such as the B.II and B.III. In aviation history, the AEG B.I marks the transition of an industrial electronics company into a notable aircraft manufacturer, illustrating the rapid diversification of German industry under wartime pressures.

AEG

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