LVG C.II

The LVG C.II was a German two‑seat reconnaissance biplane produced by Luft‑Verkehrs‑Gesellschaft (LVG) during World War I. First flown in early 1915, it evolved from the earlier LVG C.I and entered service with the Imperial German Army Air Service in the summer of that year. The aircraft featured a conventional two‑bay biplane wing arrangement, a wooden frame covered with fabric, and a fixed, tail‑wheel undercarriage. Power was supplied by a 150‑horse‑power Benz Bz.III six‑cylinder inline engine driving a two‑bladed propeller, giving the C.II a maximum speed of roughly 150 km/h (93 mph) and a service ceiling near 3,500 m. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot in the forward seat and an observer/gunner behind, who operated a flexible 7.92 mm machine gun and handled photographic equipment for artillery spotting. The C.II’s relatively robust construction and reliable engine made it a workhorse for front‑line reconnaissance, artillery correction, and light bombing missions throughout 1915‑1917. Although quickly superseded by more powerful models such as the LVG C.V, the C.II demonstrated the growing tactical value of dedicated two‑seat armed scouts and helped establish the doctrinal framework for aerial observation that persisted throughout the war.

LVG

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