Aviatik C.IX

WWI German observation aircraft

C.IX

Oblique view of the second C.IX prototype
Role	Reconnaissance aircraft Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Aviatik
First flight	1918
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Number built	3

The Aviatik C.IX was a prototype German observation aircraft built by Aviatik in the final months of World War I.

Design

The C.IX was a development of the C.VIII with a nine-cylinder Benz Bz.IV engine with a capacity of 200 hp. The aircraft's armament consisted of a synchronized 7.92-mm machine gun LMG 08/15 Spandau and one 7.92-mm machine gun LMG 14 Parabellum on a turret mounted in the rear cabin.

Three prototype aircraft were built (Wk.n. 6306/18-6308/18). The two prototypes had ailerons on both wings, while the third had ailerons only on the upper wing. The prototypes also differed from each other in the form of the tail.^[1]

Specifications

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in)
Height: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 28 m² (300 sq ft)
Empty weight: 980 kg (2,161 lb)
Gross weight: 1,340 kg (2,954 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.IV 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
Cruise speed: 145 km/h (90 mph, 78 kn)
Endurance: 3 hours
Service ceiling: 4,500 m (14,800 ft)

Armament

Guns: 1 fixed, synchronized 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun in the forward fuselage and a 7.92 mm Parabellum MG 14 machine gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit
Bombs: 60 kg

References

^ "Aviatik C.IX".
^ Gray & Thetford, p. 283

Bibliography

Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen (1987) [1970]. German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
Herris, Jack (2023). Aviatik Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 10 (2nd ed.). n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-953201-59-1.

v t e World War I aircraft of the Central Powers
Fighters	AEG D.I AEG Dr.I Albatros D.I Albatros D.II Albatros D.III Albatros D.V Aviatik D.I Aviatik C.VI Daimler L.6 Euler D.I Euler D.II Fokker D.I Fokker D.II Fokker D.III Fokker D.IV Fokker D.V Fokker D.VI Fokker D.VII Fokker D.VIII Fokker Dr.I Fokker E.I Fokker E.II Fokker E.III Fokker E.IV Fokker E.V Halberstadt D.II Hannover CL.II Hannover CL.III Hannover CL.IV Hannover CL.V Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 Junkers D.I Kondor D.6 Kondor E.III Naglo D.II Pfalz D.III Pfalz D.XII Pfalz Dr.I Pfalz E.I Pfalz E.II Phönix D.I LFG Roland D.II LFG Roland D.VI Siemens-Schuckert D.I Siemens-Schuckert D.II Siemens-Schuckert D.III Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Zeppelin-Lindau D.I
Bombers and ground attack	AEG DJ.I AEG G.I AEG G.II AEG G.III AEG G.IV AEG G.V AEG J.I AEG J.II AEG R.I Friedrichshafen G.II Friedrichshafen G.III Gotha G.I Gotha G.II Gotha G.III Gotha G.IV Gotha G.V Gotha GL.VII Gotha G.IX Hannover CL.II Junkers CL.I Junkers J.I Rumpler G.I Rumpler G.II Rumpler G.III Siemens-Schuckert L.I Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.III Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.IV Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI
Reconnaissance	AEG B.I AEG B.II AEG B.III AEG C.I AEG C.II AEG C.III AEG C.IV AEG C.V AEG C.VI AEG C.VII AEG C.VIII AGO C.I AGO C.II AGO C.III AGO C.IV AGO C.VII AGO C.VIII Albatros B.I Albatros B.II Albatros C.I Albatros C.III Albatros C.V Albatros C.VII Albatros C.IX Albatros C.X Albatros C.XII Aviatik B.I Aviatik B.II Aviatik C.I Aviatik C.VI DFW C.V LFG Roland C.II LVG B.I LVG C.II Rumpler C.I Rumpler C.IV Rumpler Taube
Trainers	Euler D.I
Prototypes	Albatros C.II Fokker V.1 Fokker V.2 Junkers J 1 Junkers J 2 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I

Idflieg C-, CL-, and CLS-class aircraft designations

C-

AEG	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII
AGO	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX
Albatros	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X C.XI C.XII C.XIII C.XIV C.XV
Aviatik	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX
Caspar	C.I
DFW	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI
Fokker	C.I C.II C.III
Friedrichshafen	C.I
Germania	C.I C.II C.III C.IV
Halberstadt	C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VII C.VIII C.IX
Hannover	C.I C.IV
LFG Roland	C.I C.II C.III C.V C.VIII
LVG	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX
OAW	C.I C.II
Otto	C.I C.II
Pfalz	C.I
Rumpler	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIII C.IX C.X
Sablatnig	C.I C.II C.III
Schütte-Lanz	C.I
Zeppelin	C.I C.II