Which Albatros two-seater was built in the greatest numbers?

Short answer

The Albatros C.III: it was the company's most-produced two-seater and also the C-category aircraft that Albatros built in the greatest numbers. Cumulative orders for the type totalled 2,271 aircraft. It derived directly from the C.I, of which it was a somewhat more compact version.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Image pending

The most numerous of the C family

Albatros built the C.III in greater numbers than any other of its C-category aircraft, and it was also the company's most-produced two-seater. Cumulative orders for the type totalled 2,271 aircraft.

A more compact C.I

The C.III originated from the Albatros C.I, from which it derived directly and compared with which it was a somewhat more compact aircraft. The most striking visual difference between the two was in the vertical stabilizer: the C.III adopted a lower, rounded tail instead of the C.I's large triangular surface. That revised tail unit gave it more sensitive and immediate longitudinal control than the docile C.I's. The fuselage, as in the C.I and the B.II, was mainly plywood. The observer occupied the rear cockpit and had a single 7.92 mm Parabellum MG14 machine gun.

On the Western Front

The first Luftstreitkräfte C.IIIs reached the Western Front in December 1915. The type's peak operational strength was reached in August 1916, when it was believed there were 354 aircraft in service on the front.