Rumpler C.I biplane radio-controlled model (Denis Hefford)
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Rumpler C.I biplane radio-controlled model (Denis Hefford)(i) |
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A radio-controlled model of the German World War One dart-tailed Rumpler C.I biplane, built by Denis Hefford.
The Rumpler C.I
Designed by Edmund Rumpler, the Rumpler C.I was a two-seater, single-engined reconnaissance plane that could also function as a light bomber. Specifically designed for military duties, it was introduced in 1915 and was in service for most of the First World War.
The C.I (where the "I" is a Roman numeral) was a very successful, traditionally-built robust design and easy to fly, which accounted for its longevity during a period in which frantic technological progress in military aviation technology gave most plane designs extremely short lifetimes – during this period, air forces didn't have to worry too much about justifying the "retirement" of a fleet of aircraft when the other side produced something slightly faster or more manouvrable – the older planes would simply be shot out of the sky.