AGO C.I

The AGO C.I was a German two‑seat reconnaissance biplane built by the Hamburg‑based firm AGO Flugzeugwerke during the latter half of World War I. First flown in early 1916, the aircraft entered service with the Luftstreitkräfte in the summer of that year, primarily with Feldflieger Abteilungen on the Western and Eastern fronts. Powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Oberursel U.III rotary engine, the C.I featured a conventional wooden frame, fabric covering, and a single‑bay wing arrangement with slight stagger that gave it good stability for aerial observation and photography. Its open cockpit placed the pilot in the front and the observer behind, equipped with a flexible 7.92 mm Parabellum machine gun and a forward‑firing rifle mounted on the propeller shaft. The aircraft could reach a top speed of about 150 km/h (93 mph) and a service ceiling near 4 500 m, carrying a modest payload of up to 150 kg of cameras or light bombs. Although quickly superseded by later AGO models such as the C.III, the C.I demonstrated the feasibility of purpose‑built reconnaissance platforms and contributed to the development of Germany’s tactical aerial intelligence network, influencing post‑war two‑seat designs throughout Europe.