AEG developed a series of aircraft in Germany, one of which was the AEG Wagner Eule in 1914.
The Eule was a mid-wing monoplane aircraft with a single engine and two seats.
The aircraft was designed by an engineer named Wagner and featured a fuselage made of welded steel tubs with fabric covering.
The wings were made of oak wood with fabric covering and had a tapered shape with a scalloped, bat-like trailing edge and a curving leading edge, resembling the appearance of a bird or bat.
The fuselage measured 4.77 meters with a cross section of 110 cm x 98 cm.
The first prototype was powered by a Gnome rotary engine and was used for taxi tests, but it was destroyed by fire during a repair on the fuel tank.
The second prototype was equipped with either a rotary engine or an inline 4-cylinder engine from a Ford Model T.
A few short flights were conducted to test the aerodynamic characteristics of the prototype before the project was abandoned.
Although the unusual wing configuration was not used in AEG’s subsequent aircraft designs, the welded metal framed, fabric-covered fuselage was carried forward into AEG’s B, C, and J class aircraft.
Specifications Crew
2 Number built
2 Powerplant
1 × Gnome Rotary Length
4.77 m Wingspan
12.5 m Height
2.5 m Wing area
22.5 m² Empty weight
400 kg Gross weight
600 kg Maximum speed
120 km/h Endurance
2 hours Armament
None.
Sources
AEG Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes-Jack Herris.
German Aircraft of the First World War-Owen Thetford.
