Halberstadt CL.IV

In early 1918, a variant of the Halberstadt CL.IV was developed featuring a fuselage shortened by 0.76 m, a propeller without a spinner, a rounded nose cone, and a reinforced two-bay wing structure. It was powered by a Mercedes D.III engine and had a somewhat modified tail unit shape.

Design and Development

The Halberstadt CL.IV successfully operated against enemy ground troops, breaking through their defenses on the eve of friendly offensives. However, lacking sufficient armor, these aircraft suffered heavy losses from ground fire and were soon reassigned to reconnaissance squadrons. Towards the end of the war, they were primarily used in second-line units and flight schools.

By early August 1918, 136 CL-IVs were accounted for in German “Schlachtstaffeln” (assault aviation squadrons) on the Western Front. In addition to the developing firm, the CL-IV was also built at the Roland factory.

Operational History and Armament

After the war, individual Halberstadts found their way to the Netherlands, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, and Soviet Russia. In 1922, the government of the RSFSR purchased an additional 20 aircraft from Germany.

The aircraft was typically armed with one to two forward-firing 7.92mm LMG 08/15 Spandau machine guns and a single turret-mounted 7.92mm Parabellum machine gun in the rear cockpit. It could also carry up to 4-5 x 10 kg bombs and grenades for ground attack missions.

Technical Specifications

Modification	Halberstadt CL.IV
Wingspan, m	10.74
Length, m	6.54
Height, m	2.67
Wing area, m2	28.96
Empty weight	728
Normal takeoff weight	1068
Engine type	1 Piston engine Mercedes D III
Power, hp	1 x 160
Maximum speed, km/h	175
Cruising speed, km/h	159
Practical range, km	480
Flight endurance, h.min	3.30
Service ceiling, m	4100
Crew, crew members	2
Armament	one or two 7.92-mm LMG 08/15 Spandau forward-firing machine guns and one 7.92-mm Parabellum turret-mounted machine gun in the rear cockpit, up to 4-5 x 10-kg bombs and grenades.

Image gallery of the Halberstadt CL.IV