Albatros D.IV

New week comes with a new airplane. Even if it isn't very different from the other ones that we've been drawing during the past week.

The Albatros D.IV was an experimental German fighter which was designed to test a geared, completely enclosed within the fuselage, version of the 160hp Mercedes engine, because of the enclosement, the rpm of the engine had to be reduced from 1400 rpm to 900 rpm due to the lack of cranckshaft.

It was based on the Albatros D.II cellule, enlengthened. Three D.IV were ordered in November 1916 but it seems that only one of them was completed and could flown. Tests were performed with two, three and four-bladed propellers until April 1918, but the excessive vibration and the limited performance provoked the discontinuation of the programme.

Sources:
1. The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.IV