Types Zeppelin-Staaken Riesenflugzeuge

the first zeppelin-staaken giant bomber, vgo.i of 1915.



the vgo.ii after landing mishap



the first of zeppelin-staaken r-planes constructed @ gothaer waggonfabrik a.g. fitted 3 240 hp (180 kw) maybach mb.iv engines in original hs version, 1 in nose , 1 in rear of each of twin engine nacelles, v.g.o.i first flown on 11 april 1915. carrying registration r.m.l.1 built kaiserliche marine , served on eastern front before being returned staaken 2 additional engines fitted in nacelles. during flight testing, after engines had been fitted, v.g.o.i crashed in december 1915, killing 2 of crew. 1 built.


zeppelin-staaken v.g.o.ii
almost identical v.g.o.i, v.g.o.ii serialed r.9/15 served luftstreitkräfte, (military aviation service), on eastern front , later trainer. 1 built.


the third zeppelin-staaken giant bomber, vgo.iii of 1916.



zeppelin-staaken v.g.o.iii (a.k.a.r.iii)
to overcome low power experienced v.g.o.i , v.g.o.ii, zeppelin-staaken fitted identical airframe 6 160hp(119kw) mercedes d.iii engines in 3 pairs, 2 side side in nose geared single tractor propeller , 2 side side in each nacelle, each pair geared single pusher propeller apiece. after delivery luftstreitkräfte r 10/15 , v.g.o.iii used @ eastern front rfa500 (rfa – riesenflugzeugabteilung – giant aircraft unit ). 1 built.


in-flight photo of r.iv (1916)



zeppelin-staaken r.iv
built @ staaken after production moved gothaer waggonfabriek a.g., r.iv although similar v.g.o.iii, retained paired 160 hp (120 kw) mercedes d.iii engines in nose, fitted paired 220 hp (160 kw) benz bz.iv engines in each of twin engine nacelles, each pair driving single four-bladed pusher propellers. sole r.iv serialled r 12/15 carried out operations on both eastern , western fronts. 1 built, , nose-engined zeppelin-staaken r-plane survive end of war.
zeppelin-staaken r.v
adhering same layout previous zeppelin-staaken r-planes, r.v differed in having engine nacelles arranged tractor units tandem mounted 240 hp (180 kw) maybach mb.iv powerplants , engineers , gunners transferred rear of nacelles. single mb.iv straight-six engine replaced paired units of r.iv in nose. additional defensive firepower fitted in form of schwalbennest (swallows nest), nacelle on centre-line of upper mainplane leading edge housing gunner single machine-gun. serialled r 13/15 r.v saw service on western front. 1 built.


zeppelin-staaken r.vi



zeppelin-staaken r.vi
the first true production zeppelin-staaken r-plane r.vi. giant aircraft powered either 4 245 hp (183 kw) maybach mb.iv engines or 4 260 hp (190 kw) mercedes d.iva engines. fuselage similar previous aircraft cockpit extended forward, enclosed , glazed gunner s cockpit in extreme nose. other improvements included aluminium alloy structure in triple-finned biplane tailunit, twin horizontal planes built both inverse camber , positive angle of incidence improve stabilising downforce. eighteen r.vis built serialled r25 r39 , r52 r54 . idflieg-designated r.30/16 example acted supercharged engine test-bed, , saw service in luftstreitkräfte rfa 500 , rfa 501 on western front, stationed in ghent area. air raids on england r.vis began on 17 september 1917. many air raids attributed gotha bombers were, in fact, carried out zeppelin-staaken r.vi or r.xiv bombers, direct hits on royal hospital chelsea first 1,000kg bomb dropped on england, on 16/17 february 1918. st pancras railway station attacked next night. during campaign 18 december 1917 20 may 1918 r.vis of rfa501 made eleven raids dropping 27,190 kg (28 tons) of bombs. eighteen built.


zeppelin-staaken r.vii
differing little r.iv, r.vii had revised arrangement of struts in tail unit. sole r.vii built, serialled r 14/15, crashed during delivery flight front line.


zeppelin-staaken r.xiv
the r.xiv closely resembled previous zeppelin-staaken r-planes differing in engine installation , details. 5 maybach mbiv engines arranged push-pull pairs in nacelles, engineer accommodated between engines, , single tractor engine in nose.

three r.xivs built, serialed r 43/16 r 45/16. r 43/16 shot down captain yaille of no. 151 squadron raf in july 1918.

zeppelin-staaken r.xv
the r.xv carried on 5 engine layout of r.xiv introduced large central fin in tail unit. 3 r.xvs built, serialed r 46/16 r 48/16, there no evidence carried out operational flights.


zeppelin-staaken r.xvi (av)
when new 530 hp (395 kw) benz vi engine became available, in 1918, aviatik (automobil und aviatik a.g.) @ leipzig-heiterblick tasked integrating new more powerful engine r.vi airframe due commitments of zeppelin-staaken factory , aviatiks experience in building r.vi under licence. new engines installed in nose positions of nacelles driving tractor propellers, 220 hp (164 kw) benz bziv engines in rear positions driving pusher propellers via extension shafts. 3 r.xvi (av)s built; r 49 completed in october 1918 damaged landing gear during test flight, evidence repairs carried out not available. r 50 completed after armistice civil aircraft scrapped under orders of allied control commission. construction of r 51 advanced @ time of armistice, not completed.


zeppelin-staaken type “l” seaplane
this aircraft r.vi fitted large 13-metre (42 ft 8 in) long duralumin floats. allocated serial no. 1432 kaiserliche marine (german navy) aircraft wrecked during trials. 1 built.


zeppelin-staaken type 8301 seaplane
in further attempt develop useful large seaplane kaiserliche marine, zeppelin-staaken used r.vi wings mated new fuselage, incorporated large central fin of r.xv, suspended midway between mainplanes, supported floats similar type”l” . 3 built, serialled 8301, 8303 , 8304, of 8301 tested land undercarriage, existence of 8302 has not been confirmed.




^ [1]
^ wagner, ray; nowarra, heinz (1971). german combat planes: comprehensive survey , history of development of german military aircraft 1914 1945. new york city: doubleday. p. 130. 
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