04/30/2007. In 1914 Count Zeppelin ordered Riesenflugzeugen (giant aircraft) to be designed, entrusting the design for a flying boat to Dipl.-Ing. Dornier, and for a landplane bomber to Prof. Baumann.

Design of the landplane, designated V.G.O. I, began in September 1914. In November the construction started at the hired Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha Railcar Factory), the company was named Versuchsbau Gotha-Ost (East Gotha Experimental Works). Powered by three 240 hp Maybach engines, the bomber made its first flight on April 11, 1915. It was followed by the V.G.O. II of similar design.

The third design was the V.G.O. III, in mid-1916 redesignated Zeppelin-Staaken R.III when the design and production was transferred to a new factory at Staaken, a suburb of Berlin. The R.III was powered by six paired 160 hp Mercedes D III engines driving two pusher and one tractor propeller. Armed with five machine guns it saw service at the Eastern Front.