The Aviatik C.I is another FS-WWI favorite of mine. Early versions had the gunner up front, with a side mounted parabellum gun!



-Served from 1915-1917

-Could carry hand-dropped bombs

-88.75 mph top speed

-I don't know how many were built

Farman MF.11, another one I liked from FS-WWI



-Rear firing machine gun

-Served in many theaters with many nations starting from 1914, front line service stopped on the Western Front by 1915

-66 mph max speed

-Could carry 18 × 7.3 kg (16 lb) bombs

The Aviatik was a very important early war aicraft. According to the Frontbestand, it entered service in considerable number in December 1915, peaked in June of 1916 (at about 220 aircraft) and began withdrawal from the front in around February 1917. According to the kill lists of aces it was a commonly claimed target.

+ Peaked at about 220 aircraft. According to the Frontbestand, it entered service in considerable number in December 1915 and began withdrawal from the front in around February 1917 (June of 1916 peak). According to the kill lists of aces it was a commonly claimed target.

- Initially carried one (or even two) sideways firing gun(s) as the pilot mounted in rear. Later production (C.Ia) had the pilot and gunner reversed to give a good field of fire. No fixed forward firing gun, small bomb load (30 kg), along with hand dropped bombs.

+ Lower wing loading than the other early C.I series aircraft (43 sq metres), but slightly shorter endurance





Albatros C.III

- Peaked at about 350 aircraft in service. More than 50 aircraft in service from February 1916 introduction to June 1917 (August 1916 peak). It doesn't appear to have been regularly claimed as a kill.

- At 87 mph (140 kph), it is slow enough to be caught by the D.H.2

+ Defensive gunner and light bombs (up to 90 kg)

+ One of the first two-seaters to be armed with a fixed forward firing gun

- Lower service ceiling (3000 metres), good wing area (37 sq metres)







Rumpler C.I

- Peaked at about 230 aircraft in service (with the famous mid-war C.IV peaking at ~260 in comparison). More than 50 aircraft in service from June 1916 to August 1917 (October 1916 peak).

- At 94 mph (151 kph) it easily exceeds several early-war Entente aircraft, slightly suprassing the D.H.2 and similar to the N.11

+ Defensive gunner and light bombs (up to 100 kg)

+ One of the earliest two-seaters to have a fixed forward firing gun.

- Not as famous or high flying as late war Rumplers (eg. C.IV - which may also have more visual appeal)

+ Good altitude performance (5000 metres), although somewhat lower altitude than later Rumplers. Smaller wing area than comparable aircraft (35.7 sq metres)







The LVG C.II

+ Over 255 aircraft at the front in June 1916. More than 50 aircraft in service from December 1915 to February 1917 (June 1916 peak). The LVG series were among the most commonly shot down two-seaters during the war - with the DFW C series being the only type to greatly exceed it in the kill lists of aces.

+ At 81mph (130 kph), it is slow enough to be caught by the D.H.2 and even the Morane 'L' or F.E.2b!

+ Defensive gunner and light bombs (up to 60 kg)

+ One of the first two-seaters to be armed with a fixed forward firing gun

+ Decent altitude performance (4000 metres) and good wing area (37.7 metres)

+ The first heavier than air aircraft to bomb London






LFG Roland C.II

- Only 53 aircraft at the front. More than thirty aircraft at the fron from June 1916 to April 1917 (Feb 1917 peak).

- At 102 mpg (165 kph), it can easily outrun the D.H.2 and N.11

+ Defensive gunner and light bombs (up to 50 kg)

+ One of the first two-seaters to be armed with a fixed forward firing gun

- Very small wing area (26 sq metres) and difficult handling.

+ Excellent forward/upward visibility, but unusally poor downward visibility

+ A recognisable and charismatic design

Nieuport 12

- It appears that only 160 were built

+ An early type to carry fixed forward firing and flexible defensive guns

- 98mph top speed, can easily outrun a Fokker E.III

- I've found no records (so far) of bomb racks (hand dropped bombs remain possible)






Morane-Saulnier N

- Only 49 aircraft built (1/12th the number of Morane 'L' series)

- 90 mph (cannot catch currently modelled two-seaters)

+ Early synchronised gun fighter




Morane-Saulnier H

- 75 mph (cannot catch currently modelled two-seaters)

+ Produced in reasonable numbers, although only a minority found their way into the military

+ Could carry a machine gun

+ Essentially the Pfalz E series (over 100 produced - more than twice the number of Morane 'N')

+ Some were armed with synchronised machine guns




Morane-Saulnier BB

- 92 mph (cannot catch currently modelled two-seaters)

- Only 94 produced (twice the number of the Morane N but 1/6th the number of Morane L)

+ Both forward and rearward firing guns as options








Fokker E.IV

+ 100 mph (160 kph) top speed

- Only 40 produced

- Significantly different fuselauge (compared to the E.III)

+ 1-3 fixed forward firing machine guns

- Relies on wing warping





Fokker D.II

+ 150 kph (10kph faster than an E.III and possibly 5 kph faster than a Halberstadt D.II)

- Only 177 aircraft ordered, with a smaller number at the front (The numbers were greater than the Halberstadt D.II)

+ Controls and fuselauge similar to an E.III; One of the only combat biplanes to rely on wing warping!

- Limited maneuverability






Halberstadt D.II

- Produced in very small numbers (only about fifty aircraft at the front). In fact, fewer may have served than the Fokker D.II

- no significant improvement on speed or firepower over the E.III (although there is some debate regarding the top speed).

+ Considerably lower wing loading than the Fokker E.III and equipped with Ailerons, making it significantly more maneuverable. Good dive performance.

+ Reportedly shot down unusually often by Allied aces. Also flown by a number of German aces.

+ Used to test experimental rocket weapons

I'd like to see the early Fokker D because of the wing warping, the Halberstadt only served i
n low numbers but does seem to have caused quite an Impact at the front. Manfred flew the Halberstadt in early 1917 when his Albatros was in the shop so it can't have been that bad, surely?

I like the Halberstadt D.II ...quite a few are listed as shot down - so it was more relevant as a target at least...
Still, if it wasn't for the Ace and 'game balance' the aircraft would be largely forgotten about (as would the Morane N). Of course, I'd pre-order the D.II!

Further updated some of the posts above... is there any other significant plane I should know about?

I try to be careful about plane types shot down meaning very much. Every pusher in the Allied inventory was a "Vickers" to the Germans. On the German side you had white tractor two place biplanes. I would not give much credence for the ability to distinguish between an Albatros C type vs. an Aviatiks vs.an LVGs. Rumplers could be identified - they were the ones flying too high and too fast to catch .

The Roland two-seaters would be nice to have. They were basically German two-seater fighters. German doctrine basically had their two-seater recon planes escorted by the same types which were organized in squadrons that specialized in escort work; when they ran into Entente fighters, the plane doing the recon would run away while the others would cover its escape.