The aircraft was designed by Willy Sabersky-Müssigbrodt and developed by
Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG) in 1917. The C.VI was a further development of the
C.V, which Sabersky-Müssigbrodt had made for his former employer
DFW. It was lighter, smaller and aerodynamically refined, although its fuselage seemed more bulky. It was a
biplane of mixed, mostly wooden construction. It featured a semi-
monocoque fuselage,
plywood covered. Rectangular wings of wooden and metal construction, canvas covered. Upper wing of slightly greater span, shifted some 25 cm (10 in) towards front. Vertical fin plywood covered,
rudder and
elevators of metal frame canvas covered, stabilizers (tailplanes) of wooden frame canvas covered. Straight uncovered engine in the fuselage nose, with a
chimney-like exhaust pipe. Two-blade Benz wooden propeller, 2.88 m (9.45 ft) diameter. Flat water radiator in central section of upper wing. Fixed conventional landing gear, with a straight common axle and a rear skid. Aircraft were equipped with a radio (morse;send only); transmissions were by means of an antenna which could be lowered below the aircraft when needed. The crew had parachutes and heated flying suits. A total of 1,100 aircraft of the type were manufactured. Post-war several C.VIs with passenger cabins aft of the open cockpit were converted by Raab-Katzenstein as the
LVG P.I,
LVG P.II and alternatively
Raab-Katzenstein RK-8 Marabu. ==Operational service==