German and Austro-Hungarian Military Aircraft Designations (1914-1918)

1 German Aircraft Designation System

The German Idflieg (Inspektion der Fliegertruppen = Inspectorate of the Flying Troops) used a formalized aircraft designation system as early as 1913. Each aircraft was identified by the manufacturer's name, a letter designating the type (or mission) of the aircraft, and a roman numeral. Type letter and numeral were separated by a dot. One numeric series (I, II, III, ...) was used for each combination of manufacturer and type letter. In rare cases, lower-case suffix letters were used to designate variants of an aeroplane (e.g. Hannover CL.IIIa). However, it was much more usual to assign a new numeral even for small changes on the aircraft (e.g. Fokker E.II/III/IV were all variations of the basic Fokker E.I).

The following type letters were defined:

A - Single-seat unarmed monoplane observation or training aircraft
B - Two-seat unarmed biplane observation or training aircraft
C - Two-seat armed biplane scout
CL - Two-seat armed biplane fighter (note 1)
CLS - Two-seat armed biplane fighter (note 2)
D - Single-seat armed biplane scout or fighter; changed in 1918 to single-seat fighter of any configuration
Dr - Single-seat armed triplane scout or fighter (note 3); "Dr" = Dreidecker (Triplane)
E - Single-seat armed monoplane scout or fighter (note 4); "E" = Eindecker (Monoplane)
F - Single-seat armed triplane scout or fighter; short-lived type, soon changed to "Dr"
G - Multiplace twin-engine bomber; "G" = Großflugzeug (Large Aircraft)
GL - Multiplace twin-engine light bomber (note 1)
J - Two-seat armed and armoured ground-attack aircraft; "J" = Infantrieflugzeug (Infantry Aircraft) (note 5)
K - Multiplace multi-engine (two or more) bomber; later changed to "G"; "K" = Kampfflugzeug (Battle Aircraft)
N - Two-seat armed biplane scout for night-fighting; "N" = Nacht (Night)
R - Multiplace multi-engine (three or more) long-range bomber; "R" = Riesenflugzeug (Giant Aircraft)
Rs - Multiplace multi-engine (three or more) long-range seaplane; "Rs" = Riesenseeflugzeug (Giant Flying Boat)

Notes:

1. Type "CL" was a derivative of Type "C", the "L" was for "leicht" ("light"). Types "C" and "CL" shared a single numerical sequence for each manufacturer. In the same way, "GL" designated a lightened G-type.
2. Type "CLS" was apparently a derivative of Type "CL", but was applied only to a handful of aircraft in 1918. It possibly specified still lighter and faster two-seat fighters (perhaps "S" = schnell (fast)). The CLS-type designations were assigned in a separate numerical series, except for the Halberstadt CLS.X, which followed that company's C.IX.
3. In 1918, Type "Dr" was cancelled, and all new single-seat fighters became Type "D".
4. In 1918, Type "E" was cancelled, and all new single-seat fighters became Type "D".
5. "J" was used for Infantrieflugzeug instead of "I", because the latter would have led to confusion with the roman numeral "I" (e.g. in designations like I.I).

The original system of 1913 had only two type letters, "A" for monoplanes and "B" for biplanes. However, the system was expanded in early 1915 to distinguish between armed and unarmed aircraft. The original "A" and "B" types were redefined to cover only unarmed aircraft.

There are a few odd designations, which were apparently officially allocated to some aircraft, but which do not quite fit into the standard designation system. These include:

CS - Used only for the Zeppelin-Lindau CS.I, a "C" type on floats. Possibly "S" = Seeflugzeug (Seaplane)
DD - Used only for the Friedrichshafen DD.II, a quadruplane single-seat fighter. Possibly "DD" = Doppel-Doppeldecker (Double-biplane)
DDr - Used for two twin-engined triplanes by S.S.W.
DJ - Used only for the A.E.G. DJ.I, a single-seat fighter and ground-attack plane. "DJ" is obviously a combination of the "D" and "J" types.
L - Used only for the S.S.W. L.I (originally designated G.III). The "L" type was probably supposed to designate a class of aircraft between the "G" and "R" types, but I don't know if "L" stood for any specific German word.
S - Used only for the Ago S.I, a single-seat ground attack aircraft. Possibly "S" = Schlachtflugzeug (lit. "Battle Aircraft", i.e. close-support aircraft)

The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) used manufacturers' designations for many of its aircraft. Although many floatplanes used the designation "W" for Wasserflugzeug (Seaplane), it's possible that W-type designations were assigned by the manufacturers, too. The W-type designations used arabic instead of roman numerals, and were apparently not always assigned in strict numerical sequence. They are outside the scope of this document.

In the initial system, aircraft built under license by another manufacturer were given a new designation in the manufacturer's series. E.g. an L.F.G. Roland D.I built by Pfalz was known as a Pfalz D.I. However, in late 1916 (or early 1917) the system was changed. A license-built aircraft then retained the original designer's designation, followed by a two- to five-letter abbreviation of the manufacturer's name in parentheses. This was retroactively applied to existing machines, so that e.g. the Pfalz D.I was redesignated as L.F.G. Roland D.I (Pfal.). The following table lists the official abbreviations of German aircraft manufacturers:

Aeg. - Allgemeine Electrizitäts-GmbH
Ago. - Ago Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Alb. - Albatros Werke GmbH
Av. - Automobil und Aviatik GmbH
Bay. - Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke A.G. (absorbed by Otto-Werke 1916)
Bayru. - Bayerische Rumpler-Werke A.G.
Daim. - Daimler Motorengesellschaft Werke
Dfw. - Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Do. - Zeppelin Werke Lindau GmbH (Dornier)
Eul. - Euler-Werke
Fok. - Fokker Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Fdh. - Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen GmbH
Germ. - Germania Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Go. - Gothaer Waggonfabrik A.G.
Halb. - Halberstädter Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Han. - Hannoversche Waggonfabrik ("Hawa") A.G.
Hansa. - Hanseatische Flugzeug-Werke (Karl Caspar A.G.)
Junk. - Junkers Flugzeug-Werke A.G.
Jfa. - Junkers-Fokker-Werke (Oct. 1917); also "Junk."
KW. - Kaiserliche Marinewerft
Kon. - Kondor Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Li. - Linke-Hofmann Werke A.G.
Lvg. - Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH
Märk. - Märkische Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Mer. - Mercur Flugzeugbau GmbH
Nfw. - National-Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Oaw. - Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke GmbH; sometimes "Albs.A.W.S."
Ot. - Otto-Werke GmbH
Pfal. - Pfalz Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Rat. - Waggonfabrik Joseph Ratgeber
Rin. - Albert Rinne Flugzeug-Werke
Rol. - Luftfahrzeug-Gesellschaft mbH (L.F.G. Roland)
Ru. - Rumpler Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Sab. - Sablatnig Flugzeugbau GmbH
Schül. - Luftfahrzeugbau Schütte-Lanz
Ssw. - Siemens-Schuckert Werke GmbH
Staak. - Zeppelin Werke Staaken GmbH
Torp. - Luft-Torpedo-Gesellschaft mbH

Minor German aircraft manufacturers, for which no official abbreviation is known, include:

Ludwig Alter Werke
Goedecker Flugzeug-Werke
Hansa und Brandenburgische Flugzeug-Werke GmbH
Jeannin Flugzeugbau GmbH (became N.F.W.)
Flugzeugwerft Lübeck-Travemünde GmbH
Norddeutsche Flugzeug-Werke
Flugmaschine Rex GmbH
Flugmaschinen-Fabrik Franz Schneider
Schwade Flugzeug- und Motorenbau
Union Flugzeug-Werke

The Austro-Hungarian KuKLFT (Kaiserlich und Königliche Luftfahrttruppen = Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops) also adopted the German aircraft designation system. However, Austria-Hungary assigned its designations completely independent from Germany. This can be a bit confusing in the case of Aviatik, which had airplane companies in both Germany and Austria. E.g. a German "Aviatik C.I" is a different type of aircraft than an Austro-Hungarian "Aviatik C.I". This was not a real problem, though, because essentially all KuKLFT warplanes were built by Austro-Hungarian manufacturers, none of which exported aircraft to Germany. German designs built under license in Austria-Hungary used the standard nomenclature, i.e. original designation plus builder's name in parentheses (e.g. "Friedrichshafen G.III (Oef.)").

The official abbreviations of the Austro-Hungarian aircraft manufacturers were as follows:

Av. - Östereichisch-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik Aviatik
Fd. - Fliegerarsenal Flugzeugwerke Fischamend
Ll. - Ungarische Lloyd Flugzeug und Motorenfabrik A.G.
Lo. - Jacob Lohner & Co Werke GmbH
Mag. - Magyar Általános Gépgyár RT
Oef. - Österreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G.
Ph. - Phönix Flugzeugwerke A.G.
Th. - Thöne & Fiala Maschinenfabrik
U. - Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik A.G.
Wkf. - Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik

Austrian aircraft companies and designers, which didn't have own production facilities for military aeroplanes during the war, included:

Etrich Flugzeugbau
Knoller Flugzeugbau
Mises

2 Designation Listing

Major types are listed in black, while other types (mostly prototypes or abandoned designs) are listed in gray. The "Year" column gives year of first flight (if known), or the year of design and/or construction for unfinished projects.

2.1 German Designations

Allgemeine Electrizitäts-Gesellschaft (A.E.G.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
B.III	1915	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D II
C.I	1915	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.II	1915	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.III	1915	Engine: 1x Bz III
C.IV	1916	Variants: C.IV N; engine: 1x Mercedes D III (C.IV N: 1x Benz Bz III)
C.V	1916	Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Mercedes D ?
C.VI		Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.VII	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.VIII	1917	Variants: C.VIII Dr (triplane); engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.I	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
DJ.I	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
G.I	1915	Originally designated K.I; engine: 2x Mercedes D I
G.II	1915	Engine: 2x Benz Bz III
G.III	1915	Eengine: 2x Mercedes D IV
G.IV	1916	Derivative of G.III; variants G.IVb, G.IVk; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.V	1918	Engine: 2x D IVa
J.I	1917	Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
J.II	1918	Derivative of J.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
K.I	1915	became G.I, q.v.
N.I	1918	Engine: 1x Benz
R.I	1916	Engine: 4x Mercedes D IVa

Ago

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1915	Variants: C.I W; engine: 1x Mercedes D III or 1x Benz Bz III
C.II	1915	Derivative of C.I; variants: C.II W; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.III		Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.IV	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(C.V)	(No information)
(C.VI)	(No information)
C.VII		Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.VIII		Derivative of C.VII; engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
S.I	1918	Engine: 1x Basse und Selve BuS III

Albatros

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I or 1x Mercedes D II
B.II	1914	Derivative of B.I; variants: B.IIa; engine: 1x Mercedes D I or 1x Benz Bz II or 1x Mercedes D II or 1x Argus As II
B.III	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
C.I	1915	Derivative of B.I; variants: C.Ia, C.Ib (1917); engine: 1x Benz Bz III or 1x Mercedes D III or 1x Argus As III
C.II	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.III	1916	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.IV	1916	Derivative of C.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.V	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IV
C.VI	1916	Derivative of C.III; engine: 1x Argus As III
C.VII	1917	Derivative of C.V; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.VIII N	1917	Later known as N.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.IX	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.X	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
C.XI	1917	Derivative of D.IV; project only
C.XII	1917	Derivative of C.X; engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
C.XIII	1917	Derivative of D.Va; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.XIV	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IVa
C.XV	1918	Derivative of C.XIV; engine: 1x Bz ?
CLS.I	1918	Not built?
D.I	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III or 1x Benz Bz III
D.II	1916	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.III	1916	Derivative of D.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
D.IV	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.V	1917	Variants: D.Va; engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
D.VI	1917	Project only
D.VII	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.VIII	1917	Project only
D.IX	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
D.X	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.XI	1918	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III
D.XII	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
D.XIII	1918	Not completed
D.XIV	1918	Not completed
D.XV	1918	Project only
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.V; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
Dr.II	1918	Derivative of D.X; engine: 1x Benz Bz IVb
G.I	1916	Engine: 4x Mercedes D I
G.II	1916	Engine: 2x Benz Bz III
G.III	1916	Engine: 2x Benz Bz IVa
G.IV	1918	Project only
J.I	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
J.II	1918	Derivative of J.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz IVa
J.III	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz ?; not built?
N.I	1917	Originally designated C.VIII N; engine: 1x Mercedes D III

Aviatik

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
C.I	1915	Variants: C.Ia; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.II	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.III	1916	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
(C.IV)	(No information)
C.V	1917	Engine: 1x Argus As III
C.VI	1917	License-built D.F.W. C.V; probably later redesignated as D.F.W. C.V (Av.); engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(C.VII)	(No information)
C.VIII	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.IX	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(D.I)	Not assigned
D.II	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.III	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.IV
(D.V)	(No information)
D.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.VII	1918	Derivative of D.VI; engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb

Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (B.F.W.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
CL.I	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
CL.II	1918	Derivative of CL.I; engine: 1x MAN III
CL.III	1918	Derivative of CL.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
CL.IV	1918	Derivative of CL.I; project only
N.I	1918

Daimler

Designation	Year	Remarks
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIb

Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke (D.F.W.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1915	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D I or 1x Mercedes D II
C.I	1916	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.II	1916	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.III	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.IV	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.V	1916	Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Bz IVa
D.I	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.II	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III; not built?
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
R.I	1916	Engine: 4x Mercedes D IV
R.II	1916	Derivative of R.I; engine: 4x Mercedes D IVa

Euler

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.III	1918	Derivative of L.V.G. B III; engine: 1x Mercedes D II
D.I	1916	Copy of Nieuport Nie.11; engine: 1x Oberursel U O or 1x Oberursel U I
D.II	1916	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U I

Note: Euler built four triplane prototypes, which are sometimes referred to as Dr.I through Dr.IV. However, these designations were never assigned by the German military.

Fokker

Designation	Year	Remarks
A.I	1914
A.II	1914	Engine: 1x Oberursel U O
A.III	1914	Derivative of A.II; engine: 1x Oberursel U O
C.I	1918	Engine: 1x BMW IIIa
D.I	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
D.II	1916	Engine: 1x Oberursel U I
D.III	1916	Derivative of D.II; engine: 1x Oberursel U III
D.IV	1916	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.V	1916	Engine: 1x Oberursel U I
D.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
D.VII	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III or 1x BMW III
D.VIII	1918	Originally designated E.V; engine: 1x Oberursel U II
Dr.I	1917	Originally designated F.I; Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
E.I	1915	Derivative of A.III; engine: 1x Oberursel U O
E.II	1915	Derivative of E.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
E.III	1915	Derivative of E.II; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
E.IV	1916	Derivative of E.III; engine: 1x Oberursel U III
E.V	1918	Original designation of D.VIII, q.v.
F.I	1917	Original designation of Dr.I, q.v.
K.I	1915	Engine: 2x Oberursel U O

Note: Three Fokker B-types were designated and exclusively used by Austria-Hungary, and are listed in the latter's section.

Friedrichshafen

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
D.I	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
DD.II	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Benz Bz III
G.II	1916	Engine: 2x Benz Bz IV
G.III	1917	Derivative of G.II; variants: G.IIIa; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.IV	1918	Engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
N.I	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa

Germania

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Maybach Mb ?
C.II		Derivative of C.I
(C.III)	(No information)
C.IV	1918	Engine: 1x Argus As II

Gotha

Designation	Year	Remarks
A.I	1914	License-built "Taube"; engine: 1x Mercedes D I
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Benz Bz III
G.II	1916	Engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.III	1916	Derivative of G.II; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.IV	1916	Derivative of G.II; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.V	1917	Derivative of G.IV; variants: G.Va, G.Vb; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.VI	1918	Engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.VII	1918	Engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa
G.VIII	1918	Variants: GL.VIII; engine: 2x Maybach Mb IV
G.IX	1918	Engine: 2x Maybach Mb IV
G.X	1918	Engine: 2x BMW IIIa

Halberstadt

Designation	Year	Remarks
(A.I)	(No information)
A.II		License-built Fokker A.I
B.I	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1915	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.III	1915	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D II
C.I		Development of B.II
CL.II	1917	Variants: CL.IIa; engine: 1x Mercedes D III (CL.IIa: 1x BMW IIIa)
C.III	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
CL.IV	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.V	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(C.VI)	(No information)
C.VII	1918	Derivative of C.V; engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.VIII	1918	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.IX	1918	Derivative of C.V; engine: 1x Hiero
CLS.X	1918	Derivative of CLS.I; project only
CLS.I	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
CLS.II	1918	Derivative of CLS.I; project only
D.I	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
D.II	1916	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D II
D.III	1916	Derivative of D.II; engine: 1x Argus As II
D.IV	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
D.V	1917	Derivative of D.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D II or 1x Argus As II
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Mercedes D III

Hannover

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1915	License-built Aviatik C.I; later redesignated as Aviatik C.I (Han.); engine: 1x Mercedes D III
CL.II	1917	Variants: CL.IIa; engine: 1x Argus As III
CL.III	1917	Derivative of CL.II; variants: CL.IIIa, CL.IIIb, CL.IIIc; engine: 1x Mercedes D III (CL.IIIa: 1x Argus As III; CL.IIIb: 1x NAG)
C.IV	1918	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
CL.V	1918	Engine: 1x BMW IIIa

Jeannin

Designation	Year	Remarks
A.I	1914	"Taube"; engine: 1x Argus As II

Junkers

Designation	Year	Remarks
CL.I	1918	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa or 1x BMW IIIa
CLS.I	1918	Seaplane derivative of CL.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIa
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x BMW IIIa or 1x Mercedes D IIIa
E.I	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II or 1x Mercedes D III
J.I	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV

Kondor

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
D.II	1918	Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
(E.I)	Not assigned (possibly to designate the 3rd Kondor fighter as E.III)
(E.II)
E.III	1918	Variants: E.IIIa; engine: 1x Oberursel U III (E.IIIa: 1x Goebel Goe IIIa)

L.F.G. Roland

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1915	License-built Albatros C.I; later redesignated as Albatros C.I (Rol.)
C.II	1915	"Walfisch"; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.III	1916	Derivative of C.II; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(C.IV)	(No information)
C.V	1917	Derivative of D.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
(C.VI)	(No information)
(C.VII)	(No information)
C.VIII	1918	Derivative of C.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
D.I	1916	"Haifisch"; Derivative of C.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.II	1916	Derivative of D.I; variants: D.IIa; engine: 1x Mercedes D III (D.IIa: 1x Argus As III)
D.III	1916	Engine: 1x Argus As III
D.IV	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.V		Derivative of D.IV; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.VI	1918	Variants: D.VIa, D.VIb; engine: 1x Mercedes D III (D.VIb: 1x Benz Bz IIIa)
D.VII	1918	Derivative of D.VI; engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.VIII		Derivative of D.VI
D.IX	1918	Derivative of D.VII; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III
(D.X)	(No information; not assigned?)
(D.XI)	(No information; not assigned?)
(D.XII)	(No information; not assigned?)
D.XIII	1918	Derivative of D.VII; engine: 1x Korting Kg III
D.XIV	1918	Derivative of D.VII; engine: 1x Goebel Goe IIIa
D.XV	1918	Derivative of D.VI; engine: 1x Mercedes D III or 1x BMW III
D.XVI	1918	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III or 1x Goebel Goe III
D.XVII	1918	Engine: 1x BMW IIIa
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.IV; engine: 1x Mercedes D ?
E.I		Possibly original designation of D.XVI
G.I	1915	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV

Linke-Hofmann

Designation	Year	Remarks
R.I	1917	Engine: 4x Mercedes D IVa
R.II	1918	Engine: 4x Mercedes D IVa

Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (L.V.G.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1912	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.II	1915	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D II
B.III	1917	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D I or 1x Mercedes D II
C.I	1915	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.II	1915	Derivative of B.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.III	1916	Derivative of C.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.IV	1916	Derivative of C.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D IV
C.V	1917	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.VI	1918	Derivative of C.V; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
(C.VII)	(No information)
C.VIII	1918	Derivative of C.VI; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
D.I	1916	License-built Albatros D.II; later redesignated as Albatros D.II (Lvg.); engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.II	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.III	1917	Engine: 1x NAG C.III
D.IV	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.V	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
E.I	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D II
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Benz Bz III
G.II		not built?
G.III	1918	Engine: 2x Maybach Mb IV

Märkische Flugzeug-Werke

Designation	Year	Remarks
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb

Naglo

Designation	Year	Remarks
(D.I)	(No information; not assigned?)
D.II	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III

National-Flugzeug-Werke (N.F.W.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1915	Engine: 1x Argus As II
E.I	1916	Engine: 1x Oberursel U O
E.II	1917	Derivative of E.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D III

Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (O.A.W.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1915	Engine: 1x Benz Bz ?
C.II	1916	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D IV

Otto

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1914
C.I	1915	Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.II		Eengine: 1x Mercedes D III

Pfalz

Designation	Year	Remarks
A.I	1914	License-built Morane-Saulnier Type L; engine: 1x Oberursel U O
A.II	1914	Derivative of A.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
C.I	1917	License-built Rumpler C.IV; probably later redesignated as Rumpler C.IV (Pfal.); engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
D.I	1916	License-built L.F.G. Roland D.I; later redesignated as L.F.G. Roland D.I (Pfal.); engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.II	1916	License-built L.F.G. Roland D.II; later redesignated as L.F.G. Roland D.II (Pfal.); engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.III	1917	Variants: D.IIIa (1918); engine: 1x Mercedes D III (D.IIIa: 1x Mercedes D IIIa)
D.IV	1917	Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
(D.V)	(No information; not assigned?)
D.VI	1917	Engine: 1x Oberursel U II
D.VII	1918	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III or 1x Oberursel U III
D.VIII	1918	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III or 1x Oberursel U III or 1x Goebel Goe III
(D.IX)	(No information)
(D.X)	(No information)
(D.XI)	(No information)
D.XII	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa or 1x BMW IIIa
(D.XIII)	(No information)
D.XIV	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
D.XV	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa or 1x BMW IIIa
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.VII; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III
Dr.II	1917	Derivative of Dr.I; variants: Dr.IIa; engine: 1x Oberursel U II (Dr.IIa: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh I)
E.I	1915	License-built Morane-Saulnier Type H; engine: 1x Oberursel U O
E.II	1915	Derivative of E.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
E.III	1915	Derivative of A.II; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
E.IV	1916	Derivative of E.II; engine: 1x Oberursel U III
E.V	1916	Derivative of E.II; engine: 1x Mercedes D I
E.VI	1916	Derivative of E.V; engine: 1x Oberursel U I

Rumpler

Designation	Year	Remarks
(A.I)	(No information)
A.II	1912	"Taube"; engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.I	1914	Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
C.I	1915	Derivative of B.I; variants: C.Ia; engine: 1x Mercedes D III or 1x Benz Bz III (C.Ia: 1x Argus As III)
(C.II)	(No information)
C.III	1916	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IV
C.IV	1917	Derivative of C.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
C.V	1917	Derivative of C.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D IVa
C.VI	1917	"Rubild"; derivative of C.VII; engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.VII	1917	Derivative of C.IV; engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.VIII	1917	Engine: 1x Argus As III
C.IX	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.X	1918;	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Mercedes D III or 2x Benz Bz III
G.II		Derivative of G.I; engine: 2x Benz Bz IV
G.III		Derivative of G.I; engine: 2x Mercedes D IVa

Sablatnig

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I		Engine: 1x Benz Bz III
C.I	1917	Engine: 1x Argus As III
C.II	1918	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.III	1918	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
N.I	1918	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Benz Bz IV

Schütte-Lanz

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1915	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.I	1915	Engine: 1x Gnome
D.II		Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Mercedes D ?
D.III	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.IV	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.V		Derivative of D.IV; engine: 1x Mercedes D III; project only
D.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
D.VII	1918	Derivative of D.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D IIIa
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.III; engine: 1x Mercedes D III
G.I	1915	Engine: 2x Mercedes D III

Siemens-Schuckert Werke (S.S.W.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
D.I	1916	Copy of Nieuport Nie.17; variants: D.Ia; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh I
D.II		Derivative of D.I; variants: D.IIe
D.III	1917	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III
D.IV	1918	Derivative of D.III; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III
D.V	1918	Derivative of D.III; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh IIIa
D.VI	1918	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh IIIa
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh I
Dr.II	1917	Derivative of D.II; engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh III; not completed
DDr.I	1917	Engine: 2x Siemens-Halske Sh I
DDr.II	1917	Engine: 2x Siemens-Halske Sh II; project only
E.I	1915	Engine: 1x Siemens-Halske Sh I
E.II	1916	Derivative of E.I; engine: 1x Argus As II
E.III	1916	Derivative of E.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U I
E.IV		Derivative of E.III; project only
G.I		Project only
G.II		Project only
G.III	1918	Original designation of L-I, q.v.
L.I	1918	Originally designated G.III; engine: 3x Maybach Mb IV
R.I	1915	Engine: 3x Benz Bz III
R.II	1915	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Mercedes D IVa
R.III	1916	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Benz Bz IV
R.IV	1916	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Benz Bz IV
R.V	1916	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Benz Bz IV
R.VI	1916	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Benz Bz IV
R.VII	1917	Derivative of R.I; engine: 3x Mercedes D IVa
R.VIII	1918	Engine: 6x Basse und Selve BuS IV

Zeppelin-Friedrichshafen

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1917	Engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV
C.II	1917	Derivative of C.I; engine: 1x Maybach Mb IV

Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier)

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I	1917	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
C.II	1918	Derivative of C.I
CS.I	1918	Engine: 1x Benz Bz IIIb
D.I	1918	Engine: 1x BMW IIIa
Rs.I	1915	Engine: 3x Maybach Mb IV
Rs.II	1918	Engine: 3x Maybach Mb IV
Rs.III	1917	Engine: 3x Maybach Mb IVa
Rs.IV	1917	Engine: 3x Maybach Mb IVa

Zeppelin-Staaken

Designation	Year	Remarks
V.G.O.I*	1915	Engine: 3x Maybach Mb IV or 5x Maybach Mb IV
V.G.O.II*	1915	Derivative of V.G.O.I; engine: 3x Maybach Mb IV
V.G.O.III*	1915	Engine: 6x Mercedes D III
R.IV		Derivative of V.G.O.III; engine: 6x Benz Bz IV
R.V		Engine: 5x Maybach Mb IV
R.VI	1916	Engine: 4x Maybach Mb IV or 4x Mercedes D IVa
R.VII		Derivative of R.IV; engine: 2x Mercedes D III + 4x Benz Bz IV
(R.VIII)	(No information)
(R.IX)	(No information)
(R.X)	(No information)
(R.XI)	(No information)
(R.XII)	(No information)
(R.XIII)	(No information)
R.XIV	1918	Variants: R.XIVa; engine: 5x Maybach Mb IVa
R.XV	1918	Derivative of R.XIV; engine: 5x Maybach Mb IVa
R.XVI	1918	Derivative of R.VI; engine: 2x Benz Bz IV + 2x Benz Bz VI

*Note: "V.G.O." was a company designator. It stood for "Versuchsbau GmbH Gotha Ost", the orignal name of the company, before it moved to Berlin-Staaken in 1916. V.G.O.III was sometimes unofficially called R.III. The official R-type designations were started with R.IV, to avoid confusion with the earlier "V.G.O." designations.

2.2 Austro-Hungarian Designations

Aviatik

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I		Engine: 1x Mercedes or 1x Daimler
B.II		Engine: 1x Daimler
B.III		Engine: 1x Daimler
C.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
D.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
D.II		Engine: 1x Daimler
Dr.I	1917	Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Daimler
G.I		Project only

Etrich

Designation	Year	Remarks
A.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
A.II		Engine: 1x Daimler

Fokker

(This table only lists Fokker types designated and exclusively used by Austria-Hungary.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I	1915	Engine: 1x Oberursel U O
B.II	1915	Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Oberursel U O
B.III	1915	Engine: 1x Oberursel U O

Hansa-Brandenburg

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I		Engine: 1x Mercedes or 1x Daimler or 1x Hiero
C.I		Engine: 1x Hiero or 1x Benz Bz IVa or 1x Daimler
C.II		Engine: 1x Hiero
D.I	1916	Engine: 1x Mercedes D III
G.I		Engine: 2x Daimler

Knoller

Designation	Year	Remarks
(C.I)	(No information)
C.II		Engine: 1x Daimler
D.I		Engine: 1x Hiero

Lloyd

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Hiero
C.II	1915	Engine: 1x Hiero
C.III		Derivative of C.II; engine: 1x Daimler
C.IV		Engine: 1x Daimler
C.V		"Fournier"; engine: 1x Daimler or 1x Benz

Lohner

Designation	Year	Remarks
B.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
B.II		Engine: 1x Hiero
B.III		Engine: 1x Daimler
B.IV		Engine: 1x Mercedes D I
B.V		Engine: 1x Rapp
B.VI		Derivative of B.V; engine: 1x Rapp
B.VII		Engine: 1x Daimler
C.I		Derivative of B.I; engine: 1x Daimler
Dr.I	1917	Engine: 1x Daimler

Mises

Designation	Year	Remarks
R.I

Österreichische Flugzeugfabrik (Oeffag)

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
C.II		Engine: 1x Daimler
Dr.I		Engine: 1x Daimler

Phönix

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Hiero
C.II
D.I		Engine: 1x Hiero
D.II		Derivative of D.I; variants: D.IIa; engine: 1x Hiero
D.III		Derivative of D.I; engine: 1x Hiero
D.IV		Engine: 1x Hiero or 1x Daimler

Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik (UFAG)

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Hiero
C.II		Engine: 1x Hiero
D.I		Engine: 1x LeRhône

Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik (W.K.F.)

Designation	Year	Remarks
C.I		Engine: 1x Daimler
D.I		Engine: 1x Hiero
Dr.I		Engine: 1x Daimler

3 Serial Number Systems

3.1 Germany

German aircraft serials consisted of a type letter (see designation system), a dot, a serial number, a slash, and the last two digits of the year when the aircraft was ordered. For the serial numbers, separate sequences were used for each aircraft type category ("A", "B", etc.) and year. E.g., the Albatros D.Va with serial D.5390/17 was "D"-type aircraft number 5390 ordered in 1917. However, the serial numbers did not always start at 1 for each series. Frequently, number 100 was used as a starting point, probably to avoid very short serials.

3.2 Austria-Hungary

Although the Austro-Hungarian forces used the same aircraft designation system as Germany, they had a separate system for assigning serial numbers to individual aircraft. A serial consisted of four to six digits, and a separating dot. The part to the left of the dot specified the make and model of the aircraft, while the part to the right was a consecutive serial number for this particular type.

General Example:

nnn

The digit b (second from the left of the dot) specified the manufacturer, while digit c specified an aircraft model by that manufacturer. It seems that a zero in position c was used for prototypes and test aircraft of all types for a certain manufactuerer. The optional digit a indicated a modification of the basic design (often a different type of engine), i.e. 1 for the first modification, 2 for the second, etc. The complete digit set abc effectively designated the aircraft type and version, and was therefore also known as "Bauart" (construction type). For manufacturers with more than 9 different types, digit a was also used to extend the system, so that e.g. Bauart 112 was not a derivative of Bauart 12. The serial number nnn was either two-digit or three-digit (01-999). A separate numerical series was used for each Bauart.

The following table lists the manufacturer code digits, and the known Bauart numbers for each manufacturer:

1 - Jacob Lohner & Co Werke GmbH

11 - Lohner B.I
12 - Lohner B.II
13 - Lohner B.III
14 - Lohner B.III
15 - Lohner B.IV
16 - Lohner B.V and B.VI
17 - Lohner B.VII
18 - Lohner C.I
19 - Knoller C.II (Lo.)
111 - Lohner Dr.I
112 - Lohner C.II
114 - Aviatik C.I (Lo.)
214 - Aviatik C.I (Lo.)
115 - Aviatik D.I (Lo.)
315 - Aviatik D.I (Lo.)

2 - Phönix Flugzeugwerke A.G.

21 - Albatros B.I (Ph.)
22 - Albatros B.I (Ph.)
23 - Albatros B.I (Ph.)
24 - Albatros B.I (Ph.)
25 - Knoller C.I (Ph.)
26 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
27 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
28 - Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (Ph.)
29 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
129 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
229 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
329 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
429 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (Ph.)
121 - Phönix C.I
122 - Phönix D II
222 - Phönix D II and D.III
322 - Phönix D II
422 - Phönix D IIa
123 - UFAG C.I (Ph.)
128 - Phönix D I
228 - Phönix D I
328 - Phönix D I

3 - Östereichisch-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik Aviatik

31 - Aviatik B.I
32 - Aviatik B.II
33 - Aviatik B.III
34 - Aviatik B.II
35 - Knoller B.I (Av.)
36 - Knoller C.II (Av.)
136 - Knoller C.II (Av.)
37 - Aviatik C.I
137 - Aviatik C.I
38 - Aviatik D.I
138 - Aviatik D.I
238 - Aviatik D.I
338 - Aviatik D.I
39 - Aviatik D.II
339 - Aviatik D.II
131 - Aviatik G.I
132 - Fokker D.VII (Av.)

4 - Ungarische Lloyd Flugzeug- und Motorenfabrik A.G.

41 - Lloyd C.I and C.II
42 - Lloyd C.II
43 - Lloyd C.III
44 - Lloyd C.IV
45 - (not used?)
46 - Lloyd C.V
47 - Aviatik C.I (Ll.)
48 - Aviatik D.I (Ll.)
248 - Aviatik D.I (Ll.)
348 - Aviatik D.I (Ll.)
49 - Phönix C.I (Ll.)

5 - Österreichische Flugzeugfabrik A.G. (Oeffag)

51 - Oeffag C.I
52 - Oeffag C.II
53 - Albatros D.II (Oef.) and D.III (Oef.)
153 - Albatros D.III (Oef.)
253 - Albatros D.III (Oef.)
54 - Friedrichshafen G.III (Oef.)

6 - Ungarische-Flugzeugfabrik A.G. (UFAG)

61 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
62 - Hansa-Brandenburg G.I (U.)
63 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I
64 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
65 - Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (U.)
66 - (not used?)
67 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
68 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
69 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
169 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
269 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
369 - Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (U.)
161 - UFAG C.I

7 - Fliegerarsenal Flugzeugwerke Fischamend

71 - Etrich A.I (Fd.)
72 - Etrich A.II (Fd.)
73 - Lohner B.I (Fd.)
74 - Lohner B.II (Fd.)
75 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
76 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
176 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
276 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
77 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
78 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
278 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
79 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)
279 - Hansa-Brandenburg B.I (Fd.)

8 - Wiener Karosserie- und Flugzeugfabrik A.G. (W.K.F.)

81 - Knoller C.II (Wkf.)
82 - Lloyd C.V (Wkf.)
83 - Aviatik C.I (Wkf.)
183 - Aviatik C.I (Wkf.)
84 - Aviatik D.I (Wkf.)
184 - Aviatik D.I (Wkf.)
284 - Aviatik D.I (Wkf.)
384 - Aviatik D.I (Wkf.)
85 - W.K.F. D.I

9 - Magyar Általános Gépgyár RT (M.Á.G)

91 - Aviatik C.I (Mag.)
92 - Aviatik D.I (Mag.)
93 - Fokker D.VII (Mag.)

0 - Thöne & Fiala Maschinenfabrik

101 - Aviatik D.I (Th.)
201 - Aviatik D.I (Th.)

4 Sources

[1] Peter Gray, Owen Thetford: "German Aircraft of the First World War", 2nd ed., Putnam, 1962
[2] Peter M. Bowers, Ernest R. McDowell: "Triplanes", Motorbooks, 1993
[3] Kaiserlich und Königliche Luftfahrttruppen

Comments and corrections to: Andreas Parsch

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Last Updated: 13 January 2004