Zeppelin-Lindau CS.I

The Zeppelin‑Lindau CS.I was a pioneering German naval seaplane produced in 1915‑1916 by the aircraft division of the Zeppelin Company in Lindau under the direction of engineer Claudius Dornier. Conceived as a C‑type (armed reconnaissance) floatplane for the Kaiserliche Marine, the CS.I combined a high‑wing, cantilever monoplane layout with twin pontoons, allowing it to operate from coastal bases and warships. Its most innovative feature was the completely metal airframe—an early use of duralumin ribs, spars and skin that gave the aircraft greater strength and resistance to the corrosive marine environment compared with wood‑and‑fabric contemporaries. Power came from a 160 hp Mercedes D.IIIa inline engine mounted in a pusher configuration, delivering a top speed of about 140 km/h, a service ceiling near 3 500 m and a range of roughly 500 km. The crew of two sat in an open cockpit, with a forward‑firing machine gun for self‑defence and provisions for light bombs.

Although only a limited number were built before the war’s end, the CS.I proved that all‑metal construction could meet the demanding requirements of naval aviation. Its structural concepts directly informed Dornier’s later landmark designs, most notably the massive Dornier‑Do X flying boat, and helped establish metal airframes as the standard for future seaplanes and transport aircraft.

Claudius Dornier

Zeppelin-Lindau CS.I

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Design & Classification