The Rumplers were the most elegant of German two-seater reconnaissance aircraft, especially the C.IV and the C.VII. A high altitude variant of the C.VII was the C.VII Rubilt, which could operate at altitudes up to 24000 feet and was able to maintain a speed of 100 mph even at 20000 feet, which was a formidable performance for its day. Most Allied fighter pilots could only watch and wonder as Rubilts did their work. There's an account of a Rubilt leaving a condensation trail in its wake over the British lines - a most unusual phenomenon for 1917! Gareth
The Germans produced so many different types of two-seaters that even us aviation nuts would do well to have heard of all of them! The Rumpler was among the best-known though, and as Gareth says probably the best in quality.
Thinking about it, this Rumpler has unusual markings; no sign of the German black cross. The aircraft in the background look like Nieuports, with the Allied rudder stripes. I wonder if this is either a captured example or one operated by one of the East European nations after the war. If the circles are red could it be one that was handed over to the Japanese by the Allied Control Commission?
The Rumpler C.IV in Annie's photograph is C.1454/17 of Fl Abt (A) 209 [Artillery Observation Unit 209] which was brought down at Cramille on 24 October 1917 by Sous-Lieutenant Jules Covin of SPA 31 as the fourth of his eventual six confirmed victories. The aeroplane has had French roundels applied over its German crosses but the blue central part of the markings doesn't show up on the orthochromatic film used at the time. The Rumpler's crew was Ltn d R Helmut Joeden (observer) and Uffz Straumer (pilot); both airmen were captured, but Straumer later escaped - this might be an interesting story, if it can ever be found. Gareth
