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The Albatros G.III was a two engined bomber that was produced in small numbers starting late in 1916. It was an improved version of the G.II, which had been developed during 1916. The G.II used a slab sided fuselage with an unusual looking nose, powered by two 150hp pusher engines. It had a standard main wheel under the centre of the fuselage and another set of wheels under the nose.
The G.III was similar. It used the same construction method, with a wooden frame covered by plywood for the fuselage and wooden ribs and spars with a fabric covering for the wings. The undercarriage was redesigned. The nose wheels were removed and two pairs of wheels were installed, one pair mounted on the lower wing beneath the engines. The two 220hp engines were carried in nacelles carried close to the lower wing, and again powered pusher propellers. There were cut-out sections in the lower wing to allow the engines to be mounted further forward.
The G.III was only produced in small numbers. It first served with KG 6 in Macedonia, and was also used by Kagohl II and Kagohl IV, but at its peak in April 1917 only nine were in service on the Western Front.
The G.III had magazine rack style bomb racks mounted on the outside of the fuselage in front of the lower wing roots and similar mounts carried internally. Each could carry six horizontally stowed P.u.W. 12.5kg bombs, for a total of 75kg per rack. The bombs could be dropped individually or in a salvo.
Engine: Two Benz Bz.IVa inline engines
Power: 220hp each
Span: 59ft 0.75in
Length: 39ft 0.5in
Empty weight: 4,550lb
Maximum take-off weight: 6,945lb
Max speed: 93mph
Rate of climb: 9 minutes to 3,280ft
Endurance: 4 hours
Armament: Two 7.92mm Parabellum machine guns and 716lb of bombs