Albatros C.V

The Albatros C.V was a German two‑seat reconnaissance and artillery‑observation aircraft developed during the later stages of World War I. Built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke in 1917, it evolved from the earlier C.III design but incorporated a more powerful 260 hp Mercedes D.IVa inline engine and a refined aerodynamically clean fuselage. Its biplane layout featured equal‑span, slightly staggered wings with a wooden frame and fabric covering, while the pilot sat in an open cockpit forward of the observer’s elevated station, providing an unobstructed field of fire for a flexible rear machine gun. The C.V’s improved climb rate, higher service ceiling of about 6,000 m, and increased payload allowed it to perform photographic reconnaissance, light bombing, and short‑range tactical support. Though only a modest number were produced before the war ended, the type demonstrated the trend toward more powerful, multi‑role aircraft that could operate at higher altitudes. Its design lessons influenced the post‑war Albatros C.XI and contributed to the evolution of German military aviation, marking a transitional step between early reconnaissance biplanes and the more capable combat aircraft of the 1920s, era of innovation.