LVG G.III

G.III
Role	Heavy bomber
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	LVG (Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H.)
Designer	Schütte-Lanz
First flight	1918
Number built	1

The LVG G.III was a large, twin engine triplane bomber built in Germany near the end of World War I. Only one was completed.

Design and development

The LVG G.III is sometimes known as the Schütte-Lanz G.V or Schütte-Lanz Schül G.V as it was a Schütte-Lanz design but built by LVG.^[1] It was a triplane, the only one of its kind designated G or twin engined by the Idflieg. Only one example of this very large aircraft was built.^[2]

It was a three bay triplane, the bays separated by parallel pairs of interplane struts. The fabric covered wings were unswept and had constant chord and blunt tips. The spans decreased a little from top to bottom plane, so the outer interplane struts leaned outwards; there was little stagger. There were externally connected ailerons on each plane. The 183 kW (245 hp) Maybach Mb.IV six cylinder inline engines were mounted in the inner bay on the central plane, neatly and fully cowled.^[1]^[3]

The fuselage of the G.III was round in section and smoothly covered in plywood. There was an open gunner's position in the blunt extreme nose. It had a biplane tail, with the lower tailplane attached to the underside of the fuselage and the upper one raised a little above it. Twin fins and rudders were positioned between the two tailplanes, near to their tips. it had a wide track, conventional, fixed undercarriage with double mainwheels and a tailskid mounted below the fuselage on a small extension.^[1]^[3]

The G.III first appeared just before the war's end.^[1]^[3]

Specifications

Data from Gray and Thetford p.486^[1]

General characteristics

Length: 10.25 m (33 ft 8 in)
Wingspan: 24.6 m (80 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 115 m² (1,240 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,960 kg (6,526 lb)
Gross weight: 4,100 kg (9,039 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Maybach Mb.IV 6 cylinder water cooled inline, 183 kW (245 hp) each
Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn)
Endurance: 5.5 hr
Time to altitude: 20 min to 3,000 m (9,840 ft)

Armament

Guns: Nose and dorsal Parabellum MG14 machine guns

References

1 2 3 4 5 Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam. p. 486. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
↑ Australian Society of World War One Aero Historians. "An ungainly giant". Retrieved 28 July 2013.
1 2 3 Taylor, Michael (2001). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London: Jane's Publishing Company. p. 171. ISBN 1-85170-347-0.

Aircraft produced by LVG

B.I B.II B.III C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VIII C.IX D 10 D.II D.III D.IV D.V D.VI E.I G.I G.II G.III

Aircraft designed or built by Schütte-Lanz, Luftschiffbau

Airships	SL1 SL2 SL3 SL4 SL5 SL6 SL7 SL8 SL9 SL10 SL11 SL12 SL13 SL14 SL15 SL16 SL17 SL18 SL20 SL21 SL22 SL23 SL24

Aircraft	C.I D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.VI D.VII Dr.I G.I G.IV G.V

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