Albatros C.XV

The Albatros C.XV was a German two‑seat reconnaissance and light‑bomber aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke during the latter part of World War I. First appearing in early 1918, the C.XV was developed from the earlier C.XII series with a strengthened wooden fuselage, a more powerful 220 hp Mercedes D.IVa six‑cylinder inline engine and an extended wingspan of 12.5 m that gave it a maximum speed of 180 km/h and a service ceiling of 6,500 m. Its dual‑control cockpit provided the observer with a flexible ring‑mounted 7.92 mm MG14 machine gun, while the pilot could fire a forward‑firing synchronized LMG 08/15. The aircraft could also carry up to 150 kg of small bombs, making it useful for tactical ground attacks as well as photographic missions. Although only a few dozen were produced before the Armistice, the C.XV demonstrated the evolution of German two‑seat types toward higher performance and better crew protection. Post‑war, the type influenced several inter‑war German and foreign trainers, and its aerodynamic refinements contributed to the design philosophy of later Albatros monoplanes such as the D.III and the civilian F.2. The C.XV therefore occupies a modest pivotal place in the transition from wartime observation planes to the more capable multi‑role aircraft of the 1920s.