Friedrichshafen G.III (various scales)

Although the Gotha bombers got most of the popular press, the Friedrichshafen G.III bombers were used in a similar medium night bomber role, along with the A.E.G. G.IV, including raids over Paris and many an Entente aerodrome. Pilot, rear gunner, and bombardier/front gunner manned the planes, though sometimes a crew of only two was carried. The rear cockpit had a trap door with two windows to facilitate downward vision.

The sturdy undercarriage and easy flight characteristics protected the G.III from landing mishaps that plagued many German bombers.  Those excellent qualities were probably learned during experimentation with G.III's predecessor, the smaller Friedrichshafen G.II.

This model comes in both 1:144 and 1:285/6mm/1:288 scales. The 1:285 product uses propeller disks rather than blades, since blades are hard to print at the smaller scale.  See also the Fdh G.IIIa.

DESIGNER NOTE:  Models at scales smaller than 1:144 may no longer be available.  Shapeways discontinued the material for which they were designed, and the newer materials require that each and every model be adjusted to thicken surfaces like wings.  If you are interested in a particular model in a small scale, please let me know and I will prioritize it higher in the queue.

For additional details and game information, see https://linen.miraheze.org/wiki/Friedrichshafen_G.III.