View source for AEG C.II

{{Infobox aircraft
  |name =AEG C.II
  |image =AEG C.II 1915.jpg
  |caption =
  |type =Reconnaissance aircraft
  |manufacturer =[[AEG (German company)|Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft]]
  |designer =
  |first_flight =
  |introduction =1915
  |retired =
  |status =
  |primary_user =''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]''
  |more_users =
  |produced =
  |number_built =
  |unit cost =
  |variants =
}}

The '''AEG C.II''' was a two-seat [[biplane]] [[reconnaissance aircraft]] built by the {{lang|de|[[Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft]]}} (AEG) during the [[First World War]] for the [[Imperial German Army]]'s ({{lang|de|Deutsches Heer}}) [[Imperial German Air Service]] ({{lang|de|Luftstreitkräfte}}). It was ordered in late 1915 as a better-performing version of the [[AEG C.I|C.I]] resulting from a smaller and lighter structure. The effort to lighten the aircraft compromised its structure which led to repeated failures during [[static load testing]] and relegated it to training and [[Testbed aircraft|testbed]] duties.

==Development==
The C.II was a slightly smaller version of the C.I, but retained the same water-cooled {{convert|150|hp|lk=on|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Benz Bz.III]] [[straight-six engine|straight-six]] piston engine and defensive armament. The [[wing span]] was slightly reduced, but the [[chord (aeronautics)|chord]] was increased as was the [[wing area]]. This significantly increased the C.II's [[rate of climb]], reducing its time to {{convert|1000|m}} from eleven minutes to eight. The changes did little for the C.II's speed as it was only {{convert|8|kph}} faster than the C.I. The C.II did have the ability to carry four 10&nbsp;kg (22&nbsp;lb) bombs for light attack duties that the C.I did not.<ref>Herris, pp. 16, 18</ref>

The Inspectorate of Flying Troops ({{lang|de|[[Inspektion der Fliegertruppen]]}} ordered the [[prototype]] in mid-1915 and followed it with orders for 36 more in two batches in September and October. The C.I's load testing resulted in multiple failures and the modifications needed to address the problems were so time consuming that the first six aircraft were not delivered until April 1916. One of which was sent to a front-line unit as it is shown on the bimonthly inventory report on 30 April. It was soon withdrawn from combat and transferred to a training unit like most of the rest of the C.IIs. AEG retained several and used them as [[test mule]]s to evaluate aerodynamic changes in addition to radiator designs.<ref>Herris, pp. 4–5, 18</ref>

==Operators==
;{{flag|German Empire}}
*''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]''

==Specifications (AEG C.II)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=German Aircraft of the First World War;<ref>Gray & Thetford, p. 234</ref> A.E.G. Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes<ref>Herris, p. 16</ref>
|prime units?=met

<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|genhide=

|crew=2
|capacity=
|length m=7.09
|length ft=
|length in=
|length note=
|upper span m=12
|lower span m=11.45
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=39
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=680
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=1,200
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
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|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Benz Bz.III]]
|eng1 type=water-cooled [[straight-six engine|straight-six]] piston engine
|eng1 kw=<!-- prop engines -->
|eng1 hp=150
|eng1 note=
|power original=

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop note=

<!--
        Performance
-->
|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=138
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=8 minutes to {{cvt|1000|m}}
*18 minutes to {{cvt|2000|m}}
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=

|power/mass=

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) [[Parabellum MG 14]] machine gun
|bombs= 4 × {{cvt|10|kg}} bombs

}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite book|author1-last=Gray|author1-first=Peter|title=German Aircraft of the First World War|orig-year=1970|year=1987 |publisher=Putnam |location=London|isbn=0-85177-809-7|edition=2nd|author2-first=Owen|author2-last=Thetford|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Herris |first1=Jack |title=A.E.G. Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes |date=2015 |publisher=Aeronaut Books |location=n. p. |isbn=978-1-935881-28-5|series=Great War Aviation Centennial Series|volume=16}}

{{AEG aircraft}}
{{Idflieg C-class designations}}
{{World War I Aircraft of the Central Powers}}

[[Category:1910s German military reconnaissance aircraft]]
[[Category:AEG aircraft|C.II]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]