LFG Roland C.II

{{Short description|German reconnaissance aircraft from World War I}} {{Infobox aircraft |name = LFG Roland C.II |image = LFG Roland C.II RRQ.jpg |caption = |type = Reconnaissance Aircraft |manufacturer = [[Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft]] G.m.b.H. |designer = Dipl. Ing. Tantzen |first_flight = 1915 |introduction = 1916 |retired = |status = |primary_user = ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]'' |more_users = |produced = |number_built = 400 |unit cost = |variants = }}

The '''LFG Roland C.II''', usually known as the ''Walfisch'' (Whale), was an advanced German reconnaissance aircraft of [[World War I]]. It was manufactured by [[Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft]] G.m.b.H.

== Characteristics == The C.II had much lower drag than comparable aircraft of its time. It featured a [[monocoque]] fuselage built with an outer skin of two layers of thin plywood strips at an angle to each other (known as a ''Wickelrumpf'', or "wrapped body" design).<ref name=Nowarra>{{cite book |title=German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945 |last1=Wagner |first1=R. |last2=Nowarra |first2=H. |year=1971 |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |pages=75–76}}</ref> This had both lower drag and better strength per weight than typical of the time, but it was relatively slow and expensive to build. (This approach was further developed in the [[de Havilland Mosquito]] of World War II.) The deep fuselage completely filled the vertical gap between the wing panel center sections, eliminating any need for [[cabane strut]]s commonly used in biplanes, and gave the aircraft its "whale" nickname. Struts and wires were reduced, without suffering the weight penalty of cantilever wings, like those used on the pioneering all-metal [[Junkers J 1]] of late 1915. There was even some attempt to fair the wings into the fuselage, to eliminate dead air space, a feature prominently missing from the [[Schneider Trophy]] contestants of the following decade. The engineer in charge of the design was Tantzen, who was a student of [[Ludwig Prandtl]], the founder of mathematical aerodynamics and the one to introduce the concept of [[boundary layer]].<ref name="Grosz">{{cite book |last1=Grosz |first1=Peter M. |title=Profile #163 : The Roland C.II |date=1970 |publisher=Profile Publications |location=Leatherhead}}</ref>

The C.II <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/9200231/BibliographicResource_3000006448283?page=21 |title= LFG Roland C.II |date=1918-01-01|publisher= LFG (1918) |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref> was powered by a single {{convert|160|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[Mercedes D III]], providing a top speed of {{convert|165|kph|mph|abbr=on}}, a ceiling of {{convert|4000|m|ft}} and a flight endurance of four hours.

==Operational history== The C.II entered service in the spring of 1916. Operationally, handling was reported as difficult but performance was relatively good. Due to the crew positions with eyes above the upper wing, upward visibility was excellent, but downward visibility was poor. It was also used in a fighter escort role and had a crew of two, pilot and observer/gunner.

Because of its speed, when it was first introduced, few enemy aircraft could catch it level flight. A notable exception was the Nieuport 17 C.1<ref>[[Nieuport 17#Specifications (Nieuport 17 C.1)]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=October 2020}}, which was introduced at almost the same time, and which was several miles per hour faster. Because of the lack of downward visibility, it was best attacked by diving below and coming up at it.<ref name="Grosz"/>

[[Albert Ball]], whose first victim was a C.II, said in the latter half of 1916 that it was "the best German machine now".

==Variants== * '''C.II''' : Two-seat reconnaissance, escort fighter biplane. * '''C.IIa''' : Generally similar to the Roland C.II, but fitted with revised and reinforced wingtips and larger vertical stabilizer. * '''C.III''' : Development with two bay wings and a {{convert|200|hp|kW|abbr=on|0}} [[Benz Bz.IV]] 6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine.

==Operators== ;{{flag|German Empire}} *''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]''

==Specifications (C.II)== [[File:LFG Roland C.II LRQ.jpg|thumb|LFG Roland C.II]] {{Aircraft specs |ref=''German Aircraft of the First World War'' <ref name=Gray>{{cite book |last1=Gray |first1=Peter |last2=Thetford |first2=Owen |title=German Aircraft of the First World War |year=1970 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0-370-00103-6 |edition=2nd |page=161}}</ref> |prime units?=met  |crew=2 |length m=7.7 |length note= |span m=10.3 |span note= |height m=2.9 |height note= |wing area sqm=26 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=764 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=1284 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[[Mercedes D.III]] |eng1 type=6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine |eng1 kw=120 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=fixed-pitch wooden propeller |prop dia m= |prop dia note=  |max speed kmh=165 |max speed note= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |range km= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range note= |endurance=4-5 hours dependent on fuel load |ceiling m=4000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate note= |time to altitude={{cvt|2000|m}} in 12 minutes |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |power/mass= |more performance=  |guns=<br> :*1x {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} [[Parabellum MG14]] machine gun on a ring mounting in rear cockpit, :*1x forward-firing synchronized {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} [[Maschinengewehr 08]] "Spandau" machine gun |bombs=<br> :*4x {{cvt|12.5|kg|0}} bombs carried under the fuselage. }}

==Comparable aircraft== * [[Hannover CL.II]]

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book |last1=Herris |first1=Jack |title=Roland Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes |date=2014 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |isbn=978-1-935881-20-9|series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=9}}

==Further reading== {{Commons category|LFG Roland C.II}} * {{cite book |last1=Munson |first1=Kenneth |title=Bombers : patrol and reconnaissance aircraft 1914-1919 |date=April 2004 |publisher=Bounty Books |isbn=0-7537-0918-X}} * {{cite book |title=Aircraft Of World War I |last=Munson |first=Kenneth |year=1967 |publisher= Ian Allan |location=London |pages=71 }}

[[Category:1910s German military reconnaissance aircraft]] [[Category:1910s German fighter aircraft]] [[Category:LFG aircraft|C.II]] [[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] [[Category:Biplanes]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]