W.4

First prototype of Albatros W.IV, No.747
Role	Fighter Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Albatros Flugzeugwerke
First flight	1916
Retired	1918
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Produced	1916-1917
Number built	118

The Albatros W.4 was a German floatplane derivative of the Albatros D.I fighter with new wing and tail surfaces of greater span than the D.I. One hundred eighteen examples (including three prototypes) were built between June 1916 and December 1917.^[1] The aircraft operated in the North Sea and Baltic theatres and later served as training aircraft.

The W.4 was powered by the same 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engine fitted to the D.I and based on the same fuselage. The first production series W.4s were armed with one lMG08 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun. Later aircraft carried two guns.

Operators

German Empire
- Luftstreitkräfte - 118 aircraft
Austria-Hungary
- KuKLFT - 8 aircraft delivered in July 1918^[1]

Specifications (W.4)

Data from German Aircraft of the First World War^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Height: 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 31.6 m² (340 sq ft)
Empty weight: 790 kg (1,742 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 120 kW (160 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 158–160 km/h (98–99 mph, 85–86 kn)
Endurance: 3 hours
Service ceiling: 2,890 m (9,480 ft)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 5 minutes

Armament

Guns: 1 or 2 × forward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) lMG 08 machine guns

References

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albatros W.4.

Green, W. & Swanborough, G. (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 1-85833-777-1
Herris, Jack (2012). German Seaplane Fighters of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Seaplanes. Great War Aviation Centennial Series. Vol. 2. Charleston (S.C.): Aeronaut Books. ISBN 978-1-935881-09-4.
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 56.
luftfahrt-archiv.de
Grosz, Peter M. (1995). Albatros W4. Windsock Mini Datafile No. 1. Berkhamsted: Albatros Productions. ISBN 0-948414-64-2.

Albatros aircraft

Early aircraft

Military Idflieg
designations

B type unarmed reconnaissance biplanes	B.I B.II B.III
C type armed reconnaissance biplanes	C.I C.II C.III C.IV C.V C.VI C.VII C.VIIII N C.IX C.X C.XI C.XII C.XIII C.XIV C.XV
D type Doppeldecker fighters	D.I D.II D.III D.IV D.V D.VI D.VII D.VIII D.IX D.X D.XI D.XII D.XIII D.XIV D.XV
Dr type Dreidecker triplane fighters	Dr.I Dr.II
G type Grossflugzeug bombers	G.I G.II G.III G.IV
J type close support	J.I J.II J.III

Company
designations

Landflugzeug (Landplanes)	LDD L.1 L.2 L.3 L.4 L.5 L.6 L.7 L.8 L.9 L.10 L.11 L.12 L.13 L.14 L.15 L.16 L.17 L.18 L.19 L.20 L.21 L.22 L.23 L.24 L.25 L.26 L.27 L.28 L.29 L.30 L.31 L.32 L.33 L.34 L.35 L.36 L.37 L.38 L.39 L.40 L.41 L.42 L.43 L.44 L.45 L.46 L.47 L.48 L.49 L.50 L.51 L.52 L.53 L.54 L.55 L.56 L.57 L.58 L.59 L.60 L.65 L.66 L.67 L.68 L.69 L.70 L.71 L.72 L.73 L.74 L.75 L.76 L.77 L.78 L.79 L.80 L.81 L.82 L.83 L.84 L.100 L.101 L.102 L.103
Wasserflugzeug (Seaplanes)	W.1 W.2 W.3 W.4 W.5 W.8 WMZ
Höhenflugzeug (High Altitude)	H.1