Albatros C.III

The Albatros C.III was a two-seat general-purpose biplane built by Albatros Flugzeugwerke and the company's most-produced two-seater, made in greater numbers than any other Albatros C-type. Developed during 1915 as a refined, slightly smaller derivative of the C.I, it had a lower, rounder tail that made it more responsive in the air. Pilot and observer typically each had a machine gun, up to 90 kg of bombs could be carried, and a radio set was optional. The Luftstreitkräfte first used it on the Western Front in December 1915 for reconnaissance, light bombing and bomber escort. Many manufacturers built it, so it reached units quickly; by mid-1917 it was mainly a trainer and it stayed in German service to the Armistice. Poland, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire also flew it, and small batches were built in the 1920s.