AGO C.IV

C.IV
Role	Reconnaissance
Manufacturer	AGO Flugzeugwerke
Introduction	1916
Primary user	Germany
Number built	c. 70-100 (260 ordered)

The AGO C.IV was a German reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. A departure from the manufacturer's pod-and-boom designs, it featured a traditional biplane layout with gradually tapering wings. Large orders were placed with AGO and two other manufacturers building under licence, but less than 100 were actually delivered. Although fast and well-armed, the C.IV proved unstable in the air and was disliked by aircrews. The early production version had a comma shaped rudder with unstrutted ailerons whilst later aircraft had a modified, curved rudder with strut braced double ailerons and additional strut bracing.

Operators

Estonia

• Estonian Air Force.

German Empire

• Luftstreitkräfte

Specifications

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 11.9 m (39 ft 1 in)
• Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
• Wing area: 37.5 m² (404 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 900 kg (1,984 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IV 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, 160 kW (220 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph; 103 kn)
• Endurance: 4 hours
• Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,045 ft)
• Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in 22 minutes

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 1 x fixed forward firing MG 08 "Spandau" machine gun fired by the pilot
  • 1 x Parabellum MG 14 machine gun aimed by the Observer.

Bibliography

• Gerdessen, F. "Estonian Air Power 1918 - 1945". Air Enthusiast No 18, April - July 1982. Pages 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 40. 
• Airwar.ru
• Gray, Peter; Owen Thetford (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd.. pp. 13–16. ISBN 0 370 00103 6.