Zeppelin-Staaken R.XVI

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.XVI is an incremental improvement to the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. This was one of a series of large bombers called Riesenflugzeugen intended to be less vulnerable than dirigibles in use at the time.

Development
The Staaken Bomber had two engine pods with 4 engines in a push-pull configuration. The pods were large enough for some in-flight maintenance. The engines were effectively a V-12, with two V-6 engines mated in a pusher-tractor configuration with a common crankshaft to produce over 550 HP for the pair.

Operational history
3 Staaken R.XIVa (Schül), were scheduled to be built under license by the Schütte-Lanz company. One was only partially completed by January 1919. Each were destroyed to prevent falling into enemy hands. A Staaken R.XIVa built by Staaken was completed on 19 October 1918 and was chartered by the post-War Ukrainian government to fly money into the Ukraine, but was seized by the Inter-Allied Control Commission at Aspern, near Vienna, after it returned from Ukraine. It was subsequently turned over to the Italians.

Operators

 * German Empire