Rumpler C.VII
The Rumpler C.VII was a reconnaissance aircraft of the Bayerische Rumpler -Werke AG, a subsidiary of the Berlin Rumpler Flugzeugwerke GmbH. The 1917 published C.VII assumed particular importance as a long- range reconnaissance aircraft with radio equipment and as a photo reconnaissance aircraft.
History
The C.VII was next to the C. III and C.IV the third Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft, which reached significant production numbers. Since the fuselage for all patterns remained essentially the same, the pattern could only be distinguished by the different engine cowlings. The zweistielige, fabric-covered biplane was designed by Edmund Rumpler and 1917-1918 in Augsburg at the " Bayerische Rumpler -Werke AG " built.
The good altitude performance gave her a sense of security against the enemy fighter planes.
Construction
On various dimensions of the C.VII as different are the predecessors of the described pattern of Rumpler C- series in the literature. With the airframe but also the dimensions compared with the previous models, the C- series remained virtually unchanged. The length changed only by the smaller overall length of the Maybach opposite Mercedes D.IVa used in the C.IV.
The equipment included, in addition barograph, oxygen systems and heated flight suits, also an observer Handheld. The propeller made of plywood had a diameter of 3.10 meters and had no hub lining. The aircraft was designed for a lifetime of six hundred hours of flight time.
The liquid-cooled six-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine produced in Friedrichshafen at Maybach- Maybach Mb IV with 240 hp and two floatless Maybach carburetors made with its higher compression ratio for better flight characteristics compared to the predecessor model C.IV.
Use in Switzerland
A copy of the military enrollment 702 was used in the Air Force of Switzerland from 1920 and should be used primarily as Höhenflugtrainigsflugzeug. Already on 18 May 1920, the apparatus occurred a serious accident with total loss. Carried out subsequently investigations came to the statement that the maintenance staff had the aileron control cable connected incorrectly. The pilot escaped with minor injuries.