Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.XV was an Imperial German bomber of the First World War, an incremental improvement to the R.VI and one of the series of large strategic bombers called Riesenflugzeuge, intended to be less vulnerable than dirigibles. Almost identical to the R.XIV, it had a lighter airframe and more refined aerodynamics in an effort to improve performance. Three aircraft were ordered, numbered R.46 to R.48, and all three were completed by 1 September 1918. As with most Zeppelin Riesenflugzeuge it had two engine pods with four engines in a push-pull configuration, large enough for some inflight maintenance, and additional power came from a fifth engine mounted in the nose. At least two of the R.XVs built saw action on the Western Front late in 1918.