Aviation was initially regarded as a weapon without a future. Pilots were usually trained non-commissioned officers, treated as aerial drivers, while observers held officer rank. However, to be able to fly one had to learn how, so sturdy machines suitable for training were needed.
Developed as an evolution of the excellent 1913 design by engineer Ernst Heinkel, the Albatros B.II was a two-seat, all-wood biplane training and observation aircraft. Engineer Ernst Heinkel designed a large biplane with a liquid-cooled engine and a tractor propeller. This was the beginning of a German design lineage that was quickly adopted worldwide. Such aircraft, then called “tractors”, were characterized by their stability and solid construction. After engineer Heinkel left the Albatros factory, they began producing the B.II observation version from 1914.
In addition to the parent factory, Albatros B.II airframes were also built at the BFW (Bay), LFG factories and in Warsaw at the Refla plant. In total, over 3,000 examples of the Albatros B.II were produced between 1914 and 1918. An improved version, designated B.IIa, was built at the LFG factory from 1917, where nearly 600 were produced. A small number were also built at the Linke-Hoffmann factory in Wroclaw. After the war, for the needs of civil aviation, the Albatros factory in Berlin-Johannisthal assembled another 20 examples, designated L-30.
After regaining independence, Poland operated over 100 (according to some sources only 60) examples of the Albatros B.II. They were used in military training. Due to their handling qualities and sturdy construction, they enjoyed an excellent reputation. The Albatros B.II aircraft served the longest in Bydgoszcz — until 1927.
| Wingspan | 12,96 m |
| Length | 7,63 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1050 kg |
| Maximum speed | 120 km/h |
| Ceiling | 3000 m |
| Range | 4 hours of flight |
| Armament | No fixed armament |
| Engine | 6-cylinder, inline Mercedes D III, 160 hp (118 kW) |
The exhibited example comes from the post-war series and bears factory number 10019. Manufactured in 1919, it is one of the longest-operated airframes — it flew until 1940. Under an agreement between the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow and the Berlin Museum of Transport and Technology, the airframe was restored in Germany in 1986, given a fictitious paint scheme and markings imitating an Albatros D IIa with the number 1302/15, named “Ada” (after Ada Sari, a famous opera singer of the time). A similar aircraft flew in 1920 at the Officer Observer Aviation School in Torun.
