AEG
AEG J
The AEG J was a single‑seat biplane developed by the German electrical and engineering firm AEG during the latter stages of World War I. First sketched in early 1916 and built in the company’s Staaken works, the aircraft made its maiden flight in March 1917 under the test pilot Hans von Miller. Powered by a 100 hp Mercedes D.I inline engine, the J featured a compact wooden frame with fabric covering, equal‑span wings equipped with a modest 6° dihedral, and a simplified control system that reduced pilot workload. Its most distinctive attribute was a lightweight steel tube fuselage, a pioneering use of AEG’s expertise in metalworking that foreshadowed later all‑metal structures.
Although only a handful of prototypes were produced and the type never entered front‑line service, the AEG J proved influential in two respects. First, it served as a reliable trainer for new pilots, helping to alleviate the Luftstreitkräfte’s chronic shortage of experienced aviators. Second, the aircraft’s hybrid construction informed AEG’s subsequent fighter projects, notably the AEG C.IV series, and contributed to the broader shift toward mixed wood‑metal airframes that characterised post‑war aviation design. The J remains a modest yet important milestone in early German aeronautical engineering.
Although only a handful of prototypes were produced and the type never entered front‑line service, the AEG J proved influential in two respects. First, it served as a reliable trainer for new pilots, helping to alleviate the Luftstreitkräfte’s chronic shortage of experienced aviators. Second, the aircraft’s hybrid construction informed AEG’s subsequent fighter projects, notably the AEG C.IV series, and contributed to the broader shift toward mixed wood‑metal airframes that characterised post‑war aviation design. The J remains a modest yet important milestone in early German aeronautical engineering.
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Classification
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 600