Aircraft: Rumpler Taube

[Steven M]

Source: The Museum of Flight


Rumpler Taube (Dove) Reproduction

When German glider pioneer Otto Lilienthal died in a flying accident in 1896, an Austrian named Ignaz Etrich acquired two of his gliders. Etrich went on to build many of his own designs, improving, but not entirely deviating from the bird-like forms of his predecessor. The first Taube (meaning Dove) flew in 1910.

The Taube was stable in flight, which made it very attractive to the airborne sportsmen of the time. Built by over fifty manufacturers in hundreds of configurations, the Taube was the most common type of airplane seen in the skies over pre-war in Germany and Austria. This example, a Taube built by Edmund Rumpler's company in Germany, represents a type built in great numbers
just before the beginning of World War I.

For the first months of the conflict, Taubes flew with the Central Powers armies in the role of scout aircraft. As new Allied aircraft began arriving at the front, the unarmed Taubes began to seem frighteningly unmaneuverable and sickening slow to their German flyers. The Taube was soon transferred to the role of training student aviators.

The Museum's aircraft was built by master craftsman Art Williams and completed in 1984. It carries a rare, original Mercedes D.IIIa engine.

[Steven M]

Despite its name, the Taube's unique wing form was not modeled after that of a bird, but after the Zanonia macrocarpa seeds, which glide to the ground in a slow spin induced by a single wing. Similar wing shapes have also been used by Karl Jatho.

General characteristics

* Crew: two
* Length: 9.9 m (33.5 ft)
* Wingspan: 14.3 m (45.83 ft)
* Height: 3.2 m (10.5 ft)
* Wing area: 32.5 m² (280 ft²)
* Empty weight: 650 kg (950 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 850 kg (1,200 lb)
* Powerplant: 1× 4-cylinder Argus or 6-Cylinder Mercedes Typ E4F, 74 kW (99 hp)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 100 km/h (60 mph)
* Range: 140 km (86 miles)
* Service ceiling: 2,000 m (10,000 ft)

Armament

* Rifles and pistols
* Hand dropped bombs

[Steven M]

Original Taube-

The Technisches Museum Wien is thought to have the only known remaining Etrich-built example of the Taube in existence.

[Steven M]

Here is a shot of the Taube cockpit configuration, looks very much like the racing cars of the day:

[Steven M]

A period photo of a downed Taube.

[Steven M]

For those of you who are familiar with Imperial Prussian and Bavarian Pilot Badges, you will have seen this aircraft many times gracing this badge/award.

[Steven M]

The inspiration for design...the Zanonia macrocarpa seed.

[Steven M]

The Etrich-Wels Glider, 'Etrich's Leaf', 1906 - the inspiration for the design is unmistakable...

[StuG III]

Thanks for that neat info, Steven.

[Tartan-ninja]

Great Thread Thanks....