Roden 055 Zeppelin Staaken R.VI 1:72

Two R-plane squadrons (Riesenflugzeug Abteilung) were formed, Rfa 500 and Rfa 501, operating first on the Eastern Front, then the Western. By the end of the War they were entirely equipped with Staaken types, mainly the R.VI. The first R.VI, R.25/16, transferred to Rfa 501 on June 28th, 1917, and was soon joined by R.26/16 and R.39/16. Rfa 501 moved to Ghent in August 1917, and was placed under the control of Bombengeschwader 3. R-planes accompanied the Gothas against England for the first time on September 28th, 1917. The increasing strength of the British air defenses had forced a switch to night bombing, of which Rfa 501 already had a long experience on the Eastern Front, and for which they had developed some sophisticated navigation equipment.

The R-plane raids against Britain lasted until August 1918. In that time, they dropped 27,190kg of bombs; which compares with 84,745kg dropped by well over ten times as many Gothas. A starker comparison is that in all those raids, 61 Gothas were lost, but only 2 R-planes, and those only in accidents. The R.VI was very difficult to shoot down, with its size, its defensive guns, and the security of its four engines. Night landings were far more of a threat to the R.VI than British fighters.

Most of the R.VIs had adventurous careers. The R.27/16 was built by Schütte-Lanz in their own airship shed, and was powered by Mercedes D.IVa engines. It joined Rfa 501 on 23rd January 1918, and flew raids against England under the command of Hptm. Schoeller. It was lost in March when, returning from England, its fuel lines froze. The R.VI's remarkable capability is shown by the R.27's long glide to a crash landing in Belgium. All the crew survived.

R.39/16 was built by Staaken, with four Maybach Mb.IVa engines. The Maybachs were preferred for their power at altitude. The R.39 probably carried more bombs than any other R-plane, dropping 26,000kg in the course of 20 raids on targets in England and France. This included, on three occasions, the biggest bomb to be dropped by anyone during the War, of 1,000kg. The first hit the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, causing destruction over a wide area and killing five people. The R.39 was lost in 1919 on a transport flight to Ukraine.

R.30/16, also Staaken built, was not flown in operations, but was interesting for being the world's first supercharged aircraft. A fifth engine was installed in the fuselage to drive a Brown-Boveri supercharger. It enabled the R.30 to reach an altitude of 5,800m on April 24th, 1918, 2,000m higher than normal. The machine also tested controllable pitch propellers. Last but not least, the R.30 featured in a post war German silent film, 'Die Herrin der Welt' (Mistress of the World).

Without any doubt, the Zeppelin Staaken R.VI was state of the art in aviation technology in 1918. It was exceptional for its size; along with other Staaken R-types, it was by far the biggest aircraft flown in action in WWI. But more than that, its construction demanded a host of technological advances. Its structure employed wood and aluminium and steel. Its massive 18 wheel undercarriage had to bear unheard-of weights, and on frequently sandy terrain. There was continuous innovative work on communication in flight, crucial for such a large machine, leading to a very effective electrical telegraph.

Size was not the only difference between the G-types and the R-types. The R-type specifications laid special stress on the requirement for engine accessibility in flight. R-plane history is full of incidents of engines being shut down and repaired while on long flights, including in the R.VI, which carried a lonely mechanic in each of the engine gondolas.