Country of origin:

Germany

Description:

Long-range twin-engine medium bomber

Power Plant:

Two 194 kw (260 hp) Mercedes D,IVa six-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line engines

Specifications:

History:

The AEG G.IV was designed and developed by Allgemeine Elektricitats-Gesellschaft [AEG] at a similar time to the Friedrichshafen and Gotha bombers and used the same engines but had a performance inferior to those aircraft. Be that as it may, it was placed in production and approximately 400 examples were delivered. It was basically a refinement of the G.I, G.II and G.III types which had been built in small numbers.

The wings consisted of a fixed centre-section with swept back outer panels which were built on 50 mm (1.96 in) diameter steel tubes. The wooden ribs were of solid wood glued into grooved flanges. There was steel tube framing with cable bracing wires. The engines were mounted on steel struts attached directly to the lower wing spars and braced to the fuselage upper longerons in the tractor configuration. Steel tube was also used in the construction of the fuselage and tail assembly, the nose section being covered with plywood and elsewhere being covered with fabric. The aircraft was quite heavy for its time and when carrying a full fuel load could only carry a small bomb load. Thus the aircraft was mainly used for tactical bombing behind the lines on the Western Front or for reconnaissance and photography. Accommodation was provided for a crew of four but normally three were carried and crew members could change stations during flight.

The type entered production in January 1916 and continued until November 1918. A variant known as the G.IVb was built, being of increased wingspan. An experimental G.IVk [Kanone] was built with two 20 mm Becker cannon in the nose for anti-tank work and a few examples of this model were used experimentally at the front. Further development led to the G.V but the Armistice prevented its use operationally. The G.IV was known as an easy aircraft to fly and many missions were flown at night on the Italian front.

One example of the G.IV survives. This aircraft, serial 574/18, after capture, was shipped to Canada on the SS Venusia on 28 May 1919 as part of war reparations as a war prize, was placed in storage, eventually in 1968 being restored to display condition by RCAF personnel at Trenton, and was then placed in storage again in 1970. It was then placed on display at Rockliffe until rebuilt. At that stage it was found it was fitted with 134 kw (180 hp) Mercedes engines rather than the normal 194 kw (260 hp) units and it seems, when it arrived in Canada there were no engine nacelles, engine mounts or radiators. The fate of the original engines is not known. It is now on display at the Canada Aviation & Space Museum in Ottawa and is the sole survivor of the World War I bombers built by Germany.

A G.IV was captured by Australian troops and subsequently dismantled for movement by vehicle. Photographs in the collection of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, ACTshow it was conveyed to a holding area for storage by AIF troops.  Thought was given to it joining other captured aircraft for shipping to Australia. With the serial 588/17 it was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and force landed near Villers Bretonneux on 6 May 1918. It was subsequently allotted the Allied HQ serial G/5 BDE/9 for examination. It would seem it was too large to ship to Australia and, under the terms of the Armistice, it was broken up along with other aircraft. Only the one example survives as noted above.