[musec04]

Hi Stig,


I definitely will not be insisting that it is a Germania B.I and one possibility I admit I hadn't considered was the possibility of a seaplane.Having said that you're in saying that 198 was not assigned. Again, not really on topic but there was more than one landplane serial between 120 and 200, though that doesn't distract from your point really.



I don't believe I've seen the P.M Grosz work you're referencing, but Michael Düsing in Germania Flugzeugwerke and its Aircraft doesn't give a date, so that would have been a matter I didn't take in to consideration. Happy to accept what you say about Grosz though.As an aside though weren't there four Rathjen LF machines? And Michael Düsing states that Naval land based flight training centres other than Johannistal were not established until 1916 without frustratingly giving a date for delivery of the Rathjen machines



What I did look at were other B type aircraft with serial number 198. Its not B.198/14 as that was an Aviatik P14.I don't have anything definite for B.198/15 but the preceding and following numbers are Albatros aircraft and I don't believe we're looking at an Albatros. This leaves the possibility of B198/13 again I don't have anything, so a possibility.


With regard to the dot following the serial I think if you look at either of the Ago S.66 or S.67 the serial number is like that shown on 198.


What we can see of the wing to me shows the cut out in the centre and is compatible with the aircraft shown being a Germania, but, metaphorically speaking the fact that the machine is definitely a Germania is not a hill I'd chose to die on.Hoefully a fuller photo of '198' appears in due course.


Regards,


Clint