Albatros C.V

 

The Albatros C.V was a German military reconnaissance biplane of the First World War era. It was developed around the newly developed Mercedes D.IV engine rated at 220 hp of power. This engine made Albatros' previous designs unpractical, so they had to redesign them. These redesigns included the decision to enclose the engine with removable panels and the inclusion of further aerodynamic improvements such as a large propeller spinner. 
The fuselage of the C.V looked like the one of the C.III and many other prior aircraft of Albatros. This consisted of slab-sided plywood with some variations, like the employment of an integral vertical fin. It also featured a balanced-rudder with a steel-tube structure and fabric covering with an elevator redesigned to use a one-piece control system without any division. It was armed with a single forward-firing LMG 08/15 synchronised machine gun (albeit it was not always present) plus another single Parabellum MG14 mounted on a rotating scarf ring in the observer's position. It could also carry up to 180 kg -400 lb- of bombs and could also be fitted with a radio set, depending on the mission type.
Wings had greater span than that of the C.III and undercarriage was fixed. Engine was cooled using radiators fitted to the sides of the forward fuselage, just above of the leading edge of the lower ring. 
Early flight testing didn't live up to its expectations as it was found the aircraft to be demanding and cumbersome to fly. This caused the design team to make some changes, with the original, unaltered design being called "C.V/16". These changes included the reorientation of the exhaust manifold from a horizontal to a sideways position, with a new aerofoil-shaped radiator arrangement was installed within the central section of the upper wing. The most important redesign feature was the inclusion of a completely new lower wing with an elliptical tip profile and the alteration of the upper wing, with large rectangular balanced sections and balanced elevators with internally-sprung tailskid. This redesigned type had the denomination of "C.V/17" and it showed better handling and performance. 
It was also Albatros' first redesign of their both B and C types' fuselage since Ernst Heinkel leave the firm for Hansa-Brandenburg. 

It was introduced into service by the Luftstreitkräfte in 1916 with an initial batch of 75, but they were not satisfied with its performance as it couldn't cope with the reliability of the Albatros D.III fighter, which was the backbone of Luftstreitkräfte's fighter force. This was attributed to the unreliability of the Mercedes D.IV engine, which suffered often of crankshaft failures among other deficiencies. In January 1917 a second batch of 50 aircraft was also delivered to the western front (where all of the C.Vs were deployed), these being of the C.V/17 type. However, as Mercedes couldn't solve those issues with the D.IV engine, its production was discontinued, halting the production of the C.V, together with other types. 
Total production numbers vary. some sources -wikipedia- claim a total of 424 machines were manufactured, however, Aeronaut Books -more reliable- lower that number to 125, more believable. Anyway, by August 1917 the C.V was withdrawn from the frontlines, with 84 out of 125 built, still in inventory in December, yielding an impressive survival record. Some few were employed as trainers after their withdrawal, but most schools preferred the more popular B.II, C.I and C.III, as they were easier to fly. 
One C.V was used as a testbed for the 2 cm -0.39 in- Becker cannon. This gun was fixed in the rear cockpit and fired downwards, making pilot's cockpit very cramped as he sat in the rear cockpit, so he had to share its space with the cannon, while the observer sat in the front where he had to load the cannon. These trials took place in October and November 1917.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_C.V
2nd Aeronaut Books - Great War Aviation Centennial 25 - Albatros Aircraft of WWI Vol.2 Late Two-Seaters