biii

Well known picture of an Albatros B.III. The abbreviation in bold letters [R.M.A.] is short for Reichs Marine Amt . The small S.171 denotes that this is Schulflugzeug (training aircraft) 171. This specific machine (S.171) was accepted by the German navy on 3 August 1915. By the way there is no special naval version of an Albatros B.III, but just a B.III flown by the German navy.

The picture shows a 1913/1914 German L.V.G. B.I two-seat unarmed reconnaisance biplane. This early version can be distinguished by the central skid in the undercarriage, to prevent nosing over when landing. This machine has no radiators at the side of the fuselage but a radiator which lies flush over the engine. The seating was in front the observer (with an extra large windscreen) and at the back the pilot. The B.III was introduced in 1917 as a trainer, It continued in production till after the war. These L.V.G. Biplanes were very sturdy machines.