Zeppelin-Staaken R

The Zeppelin‑Staaken R series, most notably the R.VI, was a colossal strategic bomber that entered service in the final year of World War I. Although the airframe was designed by the engineers of the Staaken plant, the aircraft was produced under licence by the rival rigid‑airship builder Schütte‑Lanz, which brought its extensive experience with large wooden structures to the project. First flown in June 1916, the R‑VI featured a wingspan of 42 metres, a length of 22 metres and four powerful inline engines mounted in tractor‑propeller nacelles, giving it a maximum speed of roughly 130 km/h and a range that exceeded 1 500 km with a payload of up to 2 000 kg of bombs.

Its sheer size allowed it to operate at altitudes above most contemporary fighters, and its defensive armament of multiple machine‑gun positions provided a degree of self‑protection rarely seen in early bombers. The aircraft’s operational record included several long‑distance raids on London and Paris, demonstrating the strategic reach of air power for the first time. Although only a handful were built before the armistice, the Zeppelin‑Staaken R‑VI left a lasting legacy, influencing post‑war designs such as the German ‘Giants’ and informing the development of heavy transport and bomber concepts in the interwar years.