Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV was a development of the R.VI and one of the series of large bombers called Riesenflugzeuge, intended to be less vulnerable than the dirigibles in use at the time. The original design had two engine nacelles, each with a pair of 350 horsepower Austro-Daimler V-12 engines in a push-pull layout, but these proved unreliable, and a connecting rod broke on 12 April 1918 during the second flight of the acceptance programme. The 300 horsepower Basse und Selve engines that replaced them tended to seize pistons, so they gave way to the less powerful but reliable 245 horsepower Maybach Mb.IVa, with a fifth Maybach added in the nose. Four of the improved R.XIVa were ordered late in the war. R.XIV 43/17 of Rfa 501 was brought down on 10 August 1918 by Captain A B Yuille of No 151 Squadron RAF flying a Sopwith Camel. Six R.XIVa served the Ukrainian People Republic Air Fleet, one was later used by the Italian Air Force and one by Romania as a training aircraft.