Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV

what is it?

The Zeppelin-Staaken R.XIV was a development of the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. This was one of a series of large bombers called Riesenflugzeuge, intended to be less vulnerable than the dirigibles in use at the time.

🔎How to recognise it: 5 piston engines with propellers · 42.2 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 135 km/htop speed
• range 1,300 kmwithout refuelling
• size 14.3 tmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 108 years ago, in 1918.
• 🚗Wingspan of 42.2 m: about 9 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 1,300 km: 7× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1918

number built

—

role

bomber

origin

🇩🇪 Germany

engines

5× Maybach Mb.IVa

crew

7

length

22.5 m

wingspan

42.2 m

height

6.3 m

max take-off weight

14.3 t

top speed

135 km/h

cruise speed

120 km/h

range

1,300 km

ceiling

4,500 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.