A.E.G. G.V from the rear
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The A.E.G. G.V was a larger version of the A.E.G. G.IV twin engined bomber, but it appeared too late to see service in the First World War.
The G.IV was a twin engined bomber capable of carrying 881lb of bombs, although only over comparatively short ranges. It had a welded steel tube fuselage, wooden wing ribs, fabric covering with a plywood covered nose. Around 500 were produced and it remained in service from late 1916 until the end of the First World War.
Amongst a number of experimental versions of the G.IV was the G.IVb, which had longer three bay wings and could carry a 2,200lb bomb. This was followed in March 1918 by the G.IVb-lang, which had the larger wings, a longer fuselage and used two 300hp Basse & Selve BuS.IVa engines. The G.IVb-lang was then developed into the G.V.
The A.E.G. G.V was a larger development of the G.IV. It was larger in every dimension, especially the wingspan, which increased by almost 30 feet. It could carry a larger payload over a longer range than the G.IV, but at a slower speed.
The first prototype made its maiden flight in May 1918. It was still under development when the war ended, and so saw no military use. A number of G.Vs were completed, and were used by the airline Deutsche Luftreederei during 1919, alongside a number of other former military aircraft. The company eventually became part of Lufthansa. One G.V flew between Berlin and Eskjo in Sweden in 4 hours 7 minutes.
Engine: Two Mercedes D.IVa
Power: 260hp each
Span: 89ft 4 1/2in
Length: 35ft 9 1/2in
Height: 14ft 9 1/8in
Empty weight: 5,940lb
Loaded weight: 10,120lb
Max speed: 90.625mph
Climb Rate: 6min to 3,280ft
Armament: Two or three machine guns
Bomb load: 1,320lb
