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The Albatros C.X was the last in the series of two-seat Albatros scouts to use the basic configuration inherited from the unarmed B-class scouts, but had a more powerful engine and was a significantly larger aircraft than earlier Albatros C-class scouts.
The C.X used the standard Albatros construction method, with a wooden framework and plywood cover for the fuselage and wooden ribs and spars with a fabric cover for the wings. It was a two-bay biplane, both wings being built around two spars. The wingspan was increased by six feet compared to the earlier C.VII, mainly to increase the aircraft's performance at high altitude. It was also two feet longer. The wingtips were sharply angled, a break from previous Albatros C class scouts, which had almost flat wingtips. Earlier Albatros scouts had ailerons on the upper wings, but the C.X had them on all four wingtips.
The tail was the standard Albatros model of the later war years, with a large almost semi-circular horizontal surface and a low but long curved vertical surface. Every edge was curved.
The C.X was powered by the 260hp Mercedes D.IVa, a newly designed engine that had been developed alongside the D.IV, which had been an 8 cylinder version of earlier Mercedes 6-cylinder engines. The new aircraft was slightly faster than the C.VII, but its climb rate was much improved.
The C.X entered service during 1917 and by October about 300 were in service at the Front. The aircraft was used as a general scout and for artillery spotting.
Engine: Mercedes D.IVa inline piston engine
Power: 260hp
Span: 47ft 1.25in
Length: 30ft 0.25in
Height: 11ft 1.74in
Empty weight: 2,315lb
Maximum take-off weight: 3,677lb
Max speed: 109mph
Climb rate: 5 minutes to 3,280ft
Service ceiling: 16,405ft
Endurance: 3hrs 25mins
Armament: One flexibly mounted 7.92mm Parabellum machine gun, one fixed forward mounted 7.92mm LMG 08/15, up to 200lb of bombs