Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik Designs & Projects (Pre-A.G.O. 1910-1922)

[Cy-27]

Otto Doppeldecker (1912-13)

Gustav Otto was holder of the 43rd German pilots licence and had bought a Bleriot monoplane in 1910. Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik, founded in 1910 by Gustav Otto, was one of the pioneering aircraft producers in pre-war Germany. In 1922 Otto Flug was reorganized into Bayerische Flugzeugwerke. Later, Otto established another company named AGO (Aviatiker Gustav Otto) Flugzeugwerke at Berlin's Johannisthal field.

The Otto firm not only constructed his own designs but also built other designers machines (for instance the Oskar Wittenstein Triplane) and also offered flight training services. One of the most famous students of Gustav Otto was Ernst Udet who earned his pilots license from private training with Otto.

Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik (1910-1922) known variants:

Otto-Alberti Doppeldecker (based on a Farman biplane 1910)
Otto Doppeldecker (1912)
Otto B
Otto B.I
Otto C
Otto C.I (Appeared in 1916 - 13 Otto C.I twin-boom aircraft were delivered to Bulgaria)
Otto C.II

The Otto biplane twin-boom design appeared in several guises, culminating in the Otto M in 1913-14 military reconnaissance biplane.

Richard Weyl was the factory pilot of Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik in Munich. He had started his career in aviation as a mechanic Richard Weyl. He gained the 109th German pilot's license on 9th September 1911.

The Otto Doppeldecker was a open fuselage pusher biplane with an accommodation pod in front of the engine. The lower wing faired into the fuselage nacelle. Weyl was entered by the Otto company as a participant in several air races and competitions.

The photographs are of Weyl in his Otto Doppeldecker at Gelsenkirchen in August 1912 and at Berlin the following year (postcard).

Richard Weyl died in 1947 in Munich.

Sources:

Pioniere der Fruhen Luftfahrt by Schmitt and Schwipps (Gondrom) ISBN 3-8112-1189-7
Notes from the BMW Archive

 

[hesham]

Nice Info my dear Cy-27,

and I can add;

Monoplane of 1913 was powered by one Argus engine.

B Type was a biplane of 1914,powered by one Mercedes D I engine.

Pusher propeller biplane of 1913,powered by one Argus As I engine.

 

[Tuizentfloot]

Thank you my dear hesham and Су-27.
My try now…
Any additions, corrections or remarks are very welcome!
My sources are the usual German publications (see my earlier posts)
“Otto genealogy”
1909: Akademie für Aviatik, München (Puchheim): flying school with Blériots
1910: AGO Aeroplanbau Otto & Alberti, München (Puchheim)
1911: Flugmaschinen-Werke Gustav Otto, München (after Herbert Alberti left)
1912: The Prussian branch in Berlin-Johannisthal became independent as Ago-Flugzeugwerke GmbH
1915: Financial and other problems forced Gustav Otto to resign
1916: Foundation of Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke BFW AG, Mûnchen, from what was left of Flugmaschinen-Werke Gustav Otto and from Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH
Afterwards Gustav Otto tried other activities in the field of aeronautics (aircraft parts) and automobile manufacturing until his suicide in 1926.
List of Otto designs (as usual with early aircraft there was no uniform designation system, so the designations can vary depending on the sources).
Monoplane (1910) – covered fuselage; 1 x Daimler D4F, 55 hp
Monoplane (1910) – uncovered fuselage; 1 x Daimler D4F, 55 hp
Biplane (1910) – Farman copy; 1 x Otto, 100 hp; also Gnôme
Bayerischer Militärdoppeldecker BM (1911) – Farman copy; 1 x Argus, 100 hp; also Otto or Daimler
Sports monoplane (1911) – “Renneindecker”; covered fuselage; 1 x Gnôme
Biplane (1911) – lower wing on the uncovered fuselage; engine in the nose, 1 x Argus 70 hp
Biplane (1911) – lower wing beneath the uncovered fuselage; engine in the nose, 1 x Argus 70 hp
Sports biplane (1911) – “Renndoppeldecker” three-bay biplane with covered fuselage, 1 x 1 x Otto, 100 hp
Monoplane in Taube style (1912) – 1 x Otto, 100 hp
Standard Otto biplane (1912) – pusher propeller; open fuselage with covered nacelle; different variants, also built by Pfalz; 1 x Otto, 100 hp; also Daimler
Monoplane for “Rund um Berlin” (1913) - 1 x Otto, 100 hp
Land-Wasserdoppledecker (1913) – Standard Otto biplane on floats; 1 x Argus, 150 hp; also Otto
Militärdoppeldecker (1913) – pusher propeller; open fuselage with covered nacelle; 1 x Otto, 100 hp; also Daimler
B-Typ (1914) – two-bay biplane trainer; 1 x Rapp, 150 hp
B-Typ (1914) – three-bay biplane, 1 x Daimler-Mercedes D III; rather a C type
C I (1914) – pusher propeller; central nacelle and twin booms; 1 x Benz Bz III, 150 hp
C II (1915) – two-bay biplane; 1 x Daimler-Mercedes D III; also Benz Bz III
Aircraft built on command
Wittenstein triplane (1910) – unsuccessful
Wittenstein biplane (1910/11) – 1 x Argus, 50 hp; only short hops
Ohlenschlager monoplane (1912) – so-called “Otto-Nr. 31”; 1 x Otto, 50 hp
Nöggerath & Dieterle Schwalbe (1913) – monoplane; 1 x Gnôme, 50 hp
License built aircraft during WWI
LVG B I
LVG B II

 

[hesham]

Excellent work my dear Tuizentfloot.

 

[richard]

Thank you , very interesting survey .
Do you know pictures of the two Wittenstein , and of the Ohlenschlager ?

 

[Tuizentfloot]

Unfortunately, I have seen never photographs of these two planes...
If someone could help???
Of the other aircraft "built on demand" (Nöggerath & Dieterle Schwalbe) a number of photographs exist (including some on the internet).

 

[hesham]

From, Pfalz Aircraft of WWI.

 

[Tuizentfloot]

The well known pioneer pilot Bruno Büchner flew with this plane in German South West Africa in 1914, and had the intention to fly with it to German East Africa, but the risks were too high. The plane went then to German East Africa by ship and arrived as WW I broke out.
Büchner immediately volunteered for the Schutztruppe, and made reconnaissance flights with his plane. After a crash at the end of 1914 (with an other pilot, who was killed) it was rebuilt as an hydroplane. Büchner made other reconnaissance flights with it in cooperation with the famous cruiser SMS Königsberg.
In the end Büchner was captured by the British for the rest of the war.