Otto C.I

C.I
	Upturned Otto C.I after an accident near Thessaloniki
Role	Reconnaissance, bomber
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik
Designer	Gustav Otto
First flight	1915
Introduction	1915
Retired	1917
Primary users	Bulgarian Air Force; Luftstreitkräfte
Number built	25

The Otto C.I, also known as the Otto KD.15, was a German two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed and produced by Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik. The C.I was a rare example of an aircraft flown by the Central Powers which had a pusher configuration.

Design and development[edit]

The German aeronautical engineer Gustav Otto designed the C.I as a reconnaissance aircraft for use by the Imperial German Flying Corps. It was an all wooden, fabric covered twin boom design with box-shaped booms. Forward was a large fuselage gondola with two seats, the observer sitting at the fore and the pilot to the rear.^[1] Behind the pilot was a six-cylinder engine driving a pusher propeller.

The unarmed prototype first flew in May or June 1915, named KD.15 and powered by a 150 kW (200 hp) Rapp engine.^[2] Production examples were given the official designation C.I and the observer was provided with a single machine gun for defence.^[3] The Rapp engine proved unreliable so production aircraft were also equipped with the lower-powered 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III or 112 kW (150 hp) Benz Bz.III.^[2]

The aircraft was produced in small numbers and proved to be the last made by the company.^[1] It is unrelated to the C.II made under license for LVG by Otto.^[4]

Operational history[edit]

The C.I entered very limited service with the Imperial German Air Service, serving only with Bavarian Feldflieger Abteilung like 4b, 8b and 9b.^[2] They were delivered in two batches, each of six aircraft, ordered in August and November 1915 respectively, and served until at least April 1916.^[3]

Initially considered "good for nothing" by the Bavarian airmen who first flew them, the aircraft gained a positive reputation during their short careers.^[5] They were favourably viewed for their stability and reliability yet were nimble with good handling characteristics both on the ground and in the air.^[6]

The aircraft saw limited export success, being sold to the Bulgarian Air Force in 1915.^[7] Thirteen were delivered to Bozhurishte in spring 1916, serving with 2 Aeroplane Otdelenie based at Udovo.^[6] The first batch was powered by the Benz engine, while the latter used the slightly more powerful Mercedes inline.^[7] These aircraft were used in the bombing and reconnaissance role.^[8] They served until 1917, when they were replaced by the more capable Albatros C.III.

Operators[edit]

Kingdom of Bulgaria

Bulgarian Air Force

German Empire

Luftstreitkräfte

Specification[edit]

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 14.50 m (47 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 47 m² (510 sq ft)
Empty weight: 915 kg (2,017 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 1,500 kg (3,307 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Benz Bz.III six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine, 112 kW (150 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph, 70 kn)

Armament

Guns: 1 x Parabellum MG 14 machine guns
Bombs: 6 × 10 kilograms (22 lb) bombs for a total of 60 kilograms (130 lb)

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Gray & Thetford, 1962, p.495
^ ^a ^b ^c Harris, 2007 p.163
^ ^a ^b Grosz, 1995
^ Gray & Thetford, 1962, p.175
^ Harris, 2007 p.169
^ ^a ^b Nedialkov, 2001
^ ^a ^b Flanagan, 1982, p.156
^ Harris, 2007 p.168

Bibliography[edit]

Anderson, Lennart (November–December 2019). "La renaissance de l'aviation militair bulgare dans les années vingt" [The Rebirth of Bulgarian Military Aviation in the Twenties]. Avions (in French) (232): 52–66. ISSN 1243-8650.
Flanagan, Brian P. (1982). "A History of the Bulgarian Air Force 1892-1919". Cross & Cockade Journal. 23 (2): 144–159.
Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen (1987) [1970]. German Aircraft of the First World War (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
Grosz, Peter M (1995). "Otto B and C type". Windsock. 11 (1).
Herris, Jack (2020). German Aircraft of Minor Manufacturers in WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series (50). Vol. 2: Krieger to Union. n.p.: Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-86-5.
Herris, Jack (2007). "Rare Birds: The Otto C.I". Over the Front. 22 (2).
Nedialkov, Dimitar (2001). Vŭzdushnata mosht na T︠s︡arstvo Bŭlgarii︠a︡ Въздушната мощ на Царство България [Air Power of the Kingdom of Bulgaria Part 2] (in Bulgarian). Sofia: Fark.

[gray-1] Gray & Thetford, 1962, p.495

[harris163-2] Harris, 2007 p.163

[grosz-3] Grosz, 1995

[4] Gray & Thetford, 1962, p.175

[harris169-5] Harris, 2007 p.169

[nedialkov-6] Nedialkov, 2001

[flanagan-7] Flanagan, 1982, p.156

[harris168-8] Harris, 2007 p.168

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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

v t e Aviation in World War I
People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins
Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles
Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–1920) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Royal Italian Air Corps Romanian Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service
Central Powers air services	Imperial German Air Service Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section