Knoller C.II

The following pictures are from Ivan Subert. For more information, Ivan can be contacted via e-mail at: infosilver@czechia.com

Austrian Knoller C.II is a two seated observation biplane with swept top wing of greater span. It was designed by Professor R. Knoller of K.K. Technischen Hochschule at Vienna.

Three 25-plane batches from Lohner, Aviatik and W.K.F. companies were ordered and the first Knoller C.II was delivered to the Aspern aerodrome in September 1916. On February 10, 1917 during test flight the wings collapsed and the crew was killed in subsequent crash. All orders were immediately cancelled and both finished and started machines were stored and never met service again.

The plane has wooden construction. Fuselage is covered with plywood with sheet metal fairings on the top side of the nose. Fabric covered two-spar wings have unusual system of profiled steel struts. The plane is powered by a 185 HP six-cylinder inline watercooled Austro-Daimler engine with two-blade wooden propeller. The radiator is positioned on the fore cabane struts. Wing span 10.0 m (top), 8.0 m (bottom), length 8.5 m.

During summer 1998 photographed machine is a part of National Museum of Technology Collection, Prague, Czech Republic. After a thorough restoration it sports Austro-Hungarian hand painted lozenge scheme on all top and side surfaces, bottom surfaces are overpainted beige, probably to simulate CDL.