Albatros Production

Windsock Datafiles #110

Hansa Brandenburg C.I Types

by C.A. Owers

Reviewed By Brian R. Baker, #43146

MSRP: £10.25 GBP (Direct from publishers, including postage and packing, for £12.25 from www.windsockdatafilespecials.com)

THE AIRPLANE

Appearing at the time of the impending release of three new Special Hobby kits of the Hansa Brandenburg two-seaters, this publication will be extremely useful in providing detailed information on these long neglected Austrian World War I biplanes.

The Hansa Brandenburg C.I was originally developed  in 1915 powered by a 160- hp. Mercedes engine, and although a few were obtained by the Germans, the vast majority were delivered to Austria-Hungary between 1916 and 1918, where they were used for various combat roles as well as training.  A number of pilots became aces on the type, and many Russian  and Italian single seat fighters were destroyed by crews flying the C.I. Over 1250 C.I’s were delivered to the Austrians by three manufacturers: Hansa-Brandenburg,  Phonix, and  UFAG.  Postwar, some were used by Hungary, Yugoslavia, Poland, and the Ukraine.  In addition, the Rumanians and Czechs also manufactured and operated the type postwar.

PUBLICATION REVIEW

In paperback format, this neat little booklet provides an amazing amount of information on a relatively unpublicized aircraft.  Although I am not a real expert on World War I aircraft, I was somewhat familiar with the type, and I was impressed with the amount of information contained in the publication.   The text contains a complete history of the type, its design origins, and its introduction into service. The connection between the Hansa Brandenburg firm and Ernst Heinkel is very interesting, and also the fact that although the aircraft was designed and produced in Germany, it was later manufactured in Austria Hungary and other countries, and it was in the service of Austria-Hungary that the aircraft made its initial  mark on aviation history.

The text is very well written, well organized, and very factual.  It is easy to read, and the writer clearly explains the technical development of the aircraft along with the historical research methods used to establish basic facts about the plane.

What impressed me most is the detailed information about the operational careers of individual aircraft, which indicates that the author did a very thorough job of researching his topic. I was surprised that such detailed records still existed for historians to examine.

The detailed description of the airplane is also very complete, and the description alone would be useful for any modeler wishing to super detail a model of this type.

COLORS AND MARKINGS

One problem, certainly not the fault of the author, is the lack of specific information about the color schemes.  This is the result of the fact that none of these aircraft appears to have survived (I may be wrong here) and that color information is only hinted at by the profusion of black and white photos that appear in the text.  Oh, for some serious time travel with a digital or 35 mm slide camera!  So the color schemes are educated guesses, and the problem of colors used by Austro-Hungarian military aircraft remains a subject for future research.  A considerable amount of space is devoted to the status of research on this topic, thus increasing the interest level of the material.

DETAIL INFORMATION

The photographs, with very detailed captions, provide a wealth of information on the aircraft.  They are clearly reproduced, providing as much detail as photos from this time period could be expected to show. Sources are credited, and the details are clear.  Most impressive are two large photos of the front and rear cockpits of a C.I, along with labels in German describing the various equipment and features of the cockpits. Many photos of various details are included, making this publication especially useful to the modeler.

The detailed drawings are produced in both 1/72 and 1/48 scales, and would be very useful for modeling purposes.  Three color profiles, each depicting a different variant,  appear on the back cover, with detailed commentaries in the text.  In addition,  the cover painting provides another color scheme.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

This publication will be highly useful when I begin construction of a model of this aircraft. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in World War I or Eastern European military aviation.

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