AEG J.I & J.II

The AEG J.I, a German biplane ground attack aircraft from 1917, was an upgraded and more powerful variant of the AEG C.IV reconnaissance plane.

This two-seater single-engine tractor biplane featured a conventional landing gear with a tail skid and was constructed using steel tubes covered in fabric.

The pilot and gunner sat in an open tandem cockpit that provided armour protection.

For ground targets, the gunner had two 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns mounted on the cockpit floor.

Additionally, there was a rotatable mounting with a 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun.

If the aircraft had ailerons on both the upper and lower wings, it was designated as the AEG J.Ia.

An improved version of the J.I, known as the AEG J.II, was developed.

It featured aerodynamically balanced ailerons with overhanging horn balances, an extended rear fuselage with a larger fin for improved directional stability, and a relocated aileron link strut.

Specifications

Crew

2

Length

7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)

Wingspan

13.46 m (44 ft 2 in)

Height

3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)

Wing area

33.18 m2 (357.1 sq ft)

Empty weight

1,455 kg (3,208 lb)

Powerplant

1 × Benz Bz IV,

6-cyl water-cooled inline piston engine,

149 kW (200 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed

150 km/h (93 mph, 81 kn)

Range

375 km (233 mi, 202 nmi)

Endurance

2.5hr

Service ceiling

4,500 m (14,800 ft)

Rate of climb

2.78 m/s (547 ft/min)

Time to altitude

1,000m in 6min

Armament

Guns

Up to

6 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) fixed downwards firing LMG 08/15 machine guns

(Standard fit of 2)

1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 in rear cockpit.

Sources
AEG Aircraft of WWI-J Herris.
German Aircraft of the First World War-P Gray & O Thetford.
The Complete Book of Fighters-W Green & W Swanborough.