View source for AEG G.II

{{Infobox aircraft
|name           = AEG G.II 
|image          = AEG G.II with triple tail.jpg
|caption        =
|type           = [[Bomber]]
|national_origin = [[German Empire]]
|manufacturer   = [[AEG (German company)|AEG]]
|designer       = <!--Only appropriate for single designers, not project leaders-->
|first_flight   = <!--If this hasn't happened, skip this field!-->
|introduction   = July 1915
|retired        = <!--Date the aircraft left service. If vague or more than a few dates, skip this -->
|status         = <!--In most cases, redundant; use sparingly-->
|primary_user   = ''[[Luftstreitkräfte]]''
|more_users     = <!-- Limited to THREE (3) 'more users' here (4 total users).  Separate users with <br/>. -->
|produced       = 
|number_built   = 27–28
|developed_from = [[AEG G.I]]
|variants = <!--Variants OF this aircraft-->
}}

The '''AEG G.II''' was a [[biplane]] [[bomber]] 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 an improved version of the [[AEG G.I]] with more powerful engines. The G.II was typically armed with a pair of 7.92&nbsp;mm (.312&nbsp;in) [[machine guns]] and 200&nbsp;kg (440&nbsp;lb) of [[bomb]]s. The bomber suffered stability problems, and many G.IIs were fitted with additional [[rudder]]s to improve flight handling characteristics.

==Development==
A batch of a six G.IIs (factory designation GZ2) was ordered by the Inspectorate of Flying Troops ({{lang|de|[[Inspektion der Fliegertruppen]]}} ({{lang|de|Idflieg}}) on 1 April 1915 before the G.I even began its combat trials. It required the use of water-cooled {{convert|150|hp|lk=on|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Benz Bz.III]] [[straight-six engine|straight-six]] piston engines, an armament of a single {{cvt|7.92|mm|3}} machine gun, a bomb load of {{convert|200|kg|sp=us}} and {{cvt|150|kg}} of armor plate with thicknesses ranging from {{cvt|1.5|to|2.3|mm}} for the forward gunner. The crew was to consist of two men, although it was to be equipped with three seats. {{lang|de|Idflieg}} was very concerned about the G.II's ability to fly on a single engine, so AEG lengthened the steel-tube [[fuselage]] and enlarged the [[vertical stabilizer]] and [[rudder]] accordingly. The aircraft was expected to be used in the battleplane ({{lang|de|Kampfflugzeug}}) or aerial cruiser role escorting bombers or [[reconnaissance aircraft]] and engaging enemy aircraft. Another batch of a dozen was ordered on 6 May, also before the results of the G.I's combat trials were known.<ref name=h5>Herris, pp. 5, 94</ref>

AEG's measures to insure adequate stability when flying on a single engine proved inadequate so the aircraft from the first batch received a variety of modifications to address the issue. Most had the [[empennage|tail structure]] modified with the existing vertical stabilizer and rudder enlarged and/or two additional rudders were mounted on the [[horizontal stabilizer]]s. Some had the blunt armored nose replaced by a more streamlined unarmored one. Aircraft of the second and succeeding batches incorporated these changes as built. Two more batches totaling 18 aircraft were ordered in September, but only three or four of the last batch of a dozen were actually delivered. The highest number of G.IIs on the front-line strength report was 13 in December 1915 and remained in front-line service through June 1917.<ref name=h5/>

Despite the addition of additional machine guns, the battleplane concept proved to be a failure as the G.II was too slow to catch faster and more maneuverable fighters. {{lang|de|Idflieg}} concluded that the G.II: "had fared poorly in air combat, but had been successfully employed as a bomber in squadron strength".<ref>Herris, p. 94</ref>

==Specifications (AEG G.II)==
[[File:AEG G.II.jpg|thumb|AEG G.II profile]]  
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=German Aircraft of the First World War;<ref>Gray & Thetford, p. 241</ref> A.E.G. Aircraft of WWI: A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes<ref>Herris, p. 91</ref>
|prime units?=met

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

|crew=3–4
|capacity=
|length m=9.1
|length note=
|upper span m=16.2
|lower span m=15.2
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=61
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=1450
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=2050
|gross weight lb=
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|max takeoff weight lb=
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|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|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=140
|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=
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|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
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|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m= 
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=11 minutes to {{cvt|1000|m}}
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=

|power/mass=

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=up to 3 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) [[machine gun]]s
|bombs=200 kg (440 lb) of bombs

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Aircontent|
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
*[[Friedrichshafen G.I]]
*[[Gotha G.I]]
*[[Gotha G.II]]
|lists=
}}

==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 G, GL, K, L and N-class designations}}
{{World War I Aircraft of the Central Powers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aeg G.Ii}}
[[Category:AEG aircraft|G.II]]
[[Category:1910s German bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]
[[Category:Twin-engined piston aircraft]]