Albatros W.3

The Albatros W.3 was a German single‑engine, twin‑float reconnaissance seaplane built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke during the final years of World War I. First flown in early 1918, the W.3 was developed from the earlier Albatros W.1 series to meet the Imperial German Navy’s demand for a durable, water‑operable aircraft capable of maritime patrol and artillery spotting. Powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.IIIa inline engine, the W.3 featured a wooden fuselage with canvas covering, a biplane wing arrangement of equal span, and two large pontoons attached to the lower wing struts for stability on open water. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot and an observer, the latter equipped with a flexible 7.92 mm machine gun and a rudimentary camera for photographic intelligence. Although only a limited production run of about 30 units was completed before the armistice, the W.3 demonstrated the practicality of seaplane designs that could operate from both ship‑borne platforms and coastal bases. The aircraft’s straightforward construction and reliable handling influenced post‑war German civil seaplane development, laying groundwork for later floatplane trainers and contributing to the broader evolution of naval aviation.

Albatros

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