Nieuport 11 & 16, part three, various users

 

The Nieuport 11, nicknamed 'Bébé' (baby) in French was a French sesquiplane fighter of the World War I era that enjoyed good reputation as a combat plane and was exported (or was captured by) to various countries around the world, among its users stand the following ones:

• Austro-Hungarian Empire: At least one Macchi-built Nieuport 11 was captured by Austrian troops in north-eastern Italy and was sent to Vienna for evaluation and propaganda. It was painted in Austro-Hungarian KUK markings and received a new Austrian registration, 00.27. Its fate is unknown.
  
  
• German Empire: During 1916 the German Army managed to capture many Nieuport 11 & 16, these being employed by some German pilots who achieved ace status in those machines. They were Oblt. Kurt Student and Lt. Gustav Leffers.
  
  
• Netherlands: During the war, on 2nd February 1917, one Nieuport 11 with 3981 as serial number and belonging to 'A' Squadron, No.1 Wing Royal Naval Air Service (according to other sources it belonged to No. 6 Squadron) made a forced landing at the village of Cadzand, western Netherlands. Dutch authorities purchased the plane from the British and registered it as 'LA-40', with subsequent changes being made to the serial number, to N 213 and then N 230.
  The Royal Netherlands Army evaluated the aircraft and, based on its results, they ordered twenty additional machines to be built by the NV Dutch Motor Car and Airplane Factory at Trompenburg, Rotterdam under license. This factory was commonly known as Spyker (or Spykjer). However, given the war necessities, the needed parts and other materials were not delivered until 1918, so the first twelve aircraft lacked wheels and other important parts, however, as five Nieuport 11 were delivered shortly later and, as the war ended, the flow of spare parts and materials was resumed and the original twelve incomplete machines were, eventually completed.
  It seems that, according to an official report, the Dutch Nieuports were kept out of use between November 1919 and March 1920 after some accidents took place due to the poor quality of the machines. Some other sources claim they were never flown.
  Anyway, it also seems that in 1925 the Dutch Nieuports were still employed.
  
  
• Romania: Given the urgent for armament of the Royal Romanian Army in 1916, a total of twenty-eight Nieuport 11s were sent from the Royal Naval Air Service to Romania. Of those eight were assigned to Grupul 3 (Grupul is the Romanian word for 'Squadron') as the 'Escadrilla Nieuport (Franco/Romana). The deliveries of Nieuports were steady and eventually four fighter units saw service with the Corpul de Aviatie (Aviation Corps - the aviation branch of the Royal Romanian Army back then). 
  Those units were Grupul 1 & 2, attached to 1st Romanian Army and Grupul 1 & 3 attached to 2nd Romanian Army. 
  The Nieuports were used, under French supervisors, to provide aerial defence for Bucharest and the Russian army at Braila, northern Romania. The Grupuls saw extensive action over the fronts and by 15th December 1916 there were less than half of the original 28 Nieuports in service as only 12 were still in service, with six being kept under maintenance and additional eight no longer airworthy. The Nieuport 11s were replaced by the better Nieuport 17 as the year 1917 progressed.

Sources:

1st Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War
2nd https://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php/en/aircraft-factory-lists/aircrafts-n/nieuport-11-c1-bb-uk?showall=1
3rd Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 167 - Nieuport Fighters in Action
4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuport_11

Albatros G.III

 

The Albatros G.III was a German bomber of the The Great War. It was based on the Albatros G.II, a previous design of the Albatros firm, that never went beyond the prototype stage, as it was critically underpowered. 
The G.III used an identical plywood covered fuselage and was powered by a pair of Benz Bz. IV inline engines yielding 220 hp each, set in a pusher configuration. For comparison, the G.II was powered by two Benz Bz. III each one rated at 150 hp.
The Bz. IV engines improved the rate of climb and allowed for a heavier bombload. The airfoil area was unchanged and, in order to further improve the payload capability, upper wing span was increased to allow for more lifting area. Manoeuvrability was improved thanks to fitted aerodynamic balances that reduced pilot's control forces, however, in order to harmonize those forces, the aerodynamic balance on the rudder was deleted. 
The landing gear was also revised, so the nose wheel, present at the G.II, was deleted and dual wheels were fitted in every main gear. More traditional interplane bracings were employed, however, the G.III employed the single-bay configuration so typical of the time. The engines' installation was similar to that of the G.II, but it was more streamlined as the Bz. IV engines were more powerful. It seems that the engines suffered from cooling problems as every available photo show them without cowling panels, in spite of its negative effects on streamlining. 
It was armed with two Parabellum MG14 machine guns, one placed in the bomb aimer's position, just on the nose and another one on the observer's position, just aft the pilot's cockpit. It could carry up to 325 kg (720 lb) of bombs in a semi-recessed bomb bay under the fuselage, plus some additional smaller bombs fitted in bomb carriers placed at the sides of the nose.

The G.III, when compared to the G.II, was a much improved machine. However, when compared to its rivals, namely, AEG G.III, Friedrichshafen G.II or Gotha G.III , among others, it suffered from lighter payload and worse flying characteristics. Anyway, Idflieg (the bureau of aircraft production during World War I) ordered some few (10 or 12) of them for evaluation purposes. In early 1917 some were deployed with Kagohl. 4 (Kampfgeschwader der Obersten Heeresleitung - Combat Squadron of the Highest Army Command) in the Balkans front, while others were deployed with Kagohl. 2  somewhere in the Western Front. In April 1917 there were a total of nine G.III at the frontlines, while there was only one by the end of that same year. 
The Albatros G.III made a very limited contribution to the German war effort and was the least successful of the G-type medium bombers. Because of this, Albatros abandoned the development of medium bombers and focused on their more successful fighters and two-seater aircraft.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_G.III
2nd https://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25761.htm
3rd Aeronaut Books - Great War Aviation Centennial 26 - Albatros Aircraft of WWI Vol.3 Bombers, Seaplanes, J-Types

Albatros C.V

 

The Albatros C.V was a German military reconnaissance biplane of the First World War era. It was developed around the newly developed Mercedes D.IV engine rated at 220 hp of power. This engine made Albatros' previous designs unpractical, so they had to redesign them. These redesigns included the decision to enclose the engine with removable panels and the inclusion of further aerodynamic improvements such as a large propeller spinner. 
The fuselage of the C.V looked like the one of the C.III and many other prior aircraft of Albatros. This consisted of slab-sided plywood with some variations, like the employment of an integral vertical fin. It also featured a balanced-rudder with a steel-tube structure and fabric covering with an elevator redesigned to use a one-piece control system without any division. It was armed with a single forward-firing LMG 08/15 synchronised machine gun (albeit it was not always present) plus another single Parabellum MG14 mounted on a rotating scarf ring in the observer's position. It could also carry up to 180 kg -400 lb- of bombs and could also be fitted with a radio set, depending on the mission type.
Wings had greater span than that of the C.III and undercarriage was fixed. Engine was cooled using radiators fitted to the sides of the forward fuselage, just above of the leading edge of the lower ring. 
Early flight testing didn't live up to its expectations as it was found the aircraft to be demanding and cumbersome to fly. This caused the design team to make some changes, with the original, unaltered design being called "C.V/16". These changes included the reorientation of the exhaust manifold from a horizontal to a sideways position, with a new aerofoil-shaped radiator arrangement was installed within the central section of the upper wing. The most important redesign feature was the inclusion of a completely new lower wing with an elliptical tip profile and the alteration of the upper wing, with large rectangular balanced sections and balanced elevators with internally-sprung tailskid. This redesigned type had the denomination of "C.V/17" and it showed better handling and performance. 
It was also Albatros' first redesign of their both B and C types' fuselage since Ernst Heinkel leave the firm for Hansa-Brandenburg. 

It was introduced into service by the Luftstreitkräfte in 1916 with an initial batch of 75, but they were not satisfied with its performance as it couldn't cope with the reliability of the Albatros D.III fighter, which was the backbone of Luftstreitkräfte's fighter force. This was attributed to the unreliability of the Mercedes D.IV engine, which suffered often of crankshaft failures among other deficiencies. In January 1917 a second batch of 50 aircraft was also delivered to the western front (where all of the C.Vs were deployed), these being of the C.V/17 type. However, as Mercedes couldn't solve those issues with the D.IV engine, its production was discontinued, halting the production of the C.V, together with other types. 
Total production numbers vary. some sources -wikipedia- claim a total of 424 machines were manufactured, however, Aeronaut Books -more reliable- lower that number to 125, more believable. Anyway, by August 1917 the C.V was withdrawn from the frontlines, with 84 out of 125 built, still in inventory in December, yielding an impressive survival record. Some few were employed as trainers after their withdrawal, but most schools preferred the more popular B.II, C.I and C.III, as they were easier to fly. 
One C.V was used as a testbed for the 2 cm -0.39 in- Becker cannon. This gun was fixed in the rear cockpit and fired downwards, making pilot's cockpit very cramped as he sat in the rear cockpit, so he had to share its space with the cannon, while the observer sat in the front where he had to load the cannon. These trials took place in October and November 1917.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_C.V
2nd Aeronaut Books - Great War Aviation Centennial 25 - Albatros Aircraft of WWI Vol.2 Late Two-Seaters

Roland C.II

 

The Roland C.II was an advance German reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. 

It was a complete new original design by Roland. When manufacturing the Albatross B.II and C.I under license, Roland engineers were concerned about the high amount of drag created by the amount of bracing wires present in those designs. Roland engineers sought for a way to reduce it and to increase speed employing only the same engines currently in service. Priority was also given to the observer, as he had to have a wide field of fire. This design work, eventually led to the Roland C.II Walfisch (German word for 'Whale').

The Roland C.II was designed mostly by Prof. Ludwig Prandtl at the Göttingen University's wind tunnel. The C.II combined new construction techniques with superior aerodynamics to achieve the desired increase in performance. For this aircraft Roland engineers employed the Wickelrumpf technology which was about combining layers of veneer strips wrapped diagonally around a mold at an angle to each other and glued and reinforced with fabric. This method resulted in a robust and streamlined fuselage which could carry the structural loads. 

The first prototype was flight-tested on 24th or 25th October 1915 and was powered by a single Mercedes D.III engine which could yield 160 hp of power. Unfortunately, the engine failed short after take-off, damaging the prototype, which had to be repaired. During speed trials it shown a considerable speed advantage of around 30 km/h (19 mph) faster over contemporary German two-seaters, so the Fliegertruppen (Imperial German Army Air Corps) placed a production order for 50 aircraft on 23rd December 1915.

Further testing made in February 1916, showed that the wing cellule was not strong enough, so an additional drag wire had to be installed. This setback delayed the initial production run until 7th March 1916, when the first five production aircraft left the Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft (LFG) factory, which was the firm granted with the mass-production license of the type. 

The production version of the C.II arrived at the frontlines in March 1916, and was very liked by pilots and crews, and it served until June 1917. It was the smallest and fastest German two-seater which, thanks to its aerodynamic shape and the Mercedes D.III engine, had an excellent performance for the time. It could match the French Nieuport 17 and the British Sopwith Pup fighters in speed, making it an effective combat aircraft. This speed forced the C.II to operate together in groups of other Roland C.IIs to avoid being slowed down by their slower contemporaries.

However, speed, as important it may be, it is not everything in aerial warfare and the Roland C.II's flight characteristics needed improvement. The most important setback for the C.II was the limited forward and downward visibility the pilot had, making it hard and tricky to land, for which roll bars were added in the pilot's cockpit.
Anyway, although landing accidents were very common in World War I aircraft, in comparison, the C.II proportionately much less than its contemporaries.

In order to improve combat effectiveness, a fixed and synchronised forward-firing machine gun was included for the pilot in the second production batch. This inclusion forced a redesign of the roll-over structure to accommodate the Maschinengewehr 08 machine gun. Additional changes were also made on-the-way during third production batch's manufacturing process to improve flight characteristics. These included moving the interplane I-struts inboard and reducing slightly the wing span, in order to strengthen the wing. This modified variant was called "Roland C.IIa" and it was static-tested in later April and early May 1916. This variant reached the frontlines in the summer of 1916.

The C.IIa also featured an enlarged vertical tail to improve flight stability and control. This feature was made common to the fourth and last batch of 40 aircraft, ordered in June 1916. 

This improvement was much needed for the C.II and it should've been made before the C.II was produced en masse. 

The German firm Linke-Hoffman was granted a manufacturing license in July 1916 and another one of 40 in September. These machines were denominated as Roland C.IIa(Li). The type tests of this new batch took place in November 1916 and they reached the frontlines in early 1917. However, by that time, new and better German and Allied aircraft were present at the frontlines and the C.II had lost its performance advantage, cutting short its operational history. After being withdrawn from the frontlines, the C.II served with various flight schools until 1918.

Sources:

1st Aeronaut Books - Great War Aviation Centennial 9 - Roland Aircraft of WWI

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LFG_Roland_C.II

Pfalz E.I/E.II/E.IV/E.V/E.VI

 

The Pfalz E series were a development from the French Morane-Saulnier G and H of which Pfalz obtained a production license just before the outbreak of World War 1. The Fokker monoplanes (Fokker E series) which actually entered service months before the Pfalz Es, outperformed them in climb rate, maneuverability and handling characteristics. Therefore, the Fokkers were preferred over the Pfalzs. Fokker was accused of simply copying the French design, but taking into account that Fokker's designs were superior to those of Pflaz's the statement can't be true. Both monoplanes looked similar, yes, but designs were significantly different in detail. As both monoplanes looked similar, Allied pilots referred them both as just Fokkers.

The E-Type was divided into various variants:

• Pfalz E.I: The Pfalz E.I was created by mounting a synchronized Spandau LMG on a Pfalz-built Morane-Saulnier H (which although it was a license-built version, it wasn't completely identical to the French machine). It was powered by an 80 hp Oberursel U.0 engine. Only 45 aircraft were made and they arrived too late to make any significant impact in the war, therefore most of them were assigned to training and flying school units, specially in Bavaria.
• Pfalz E.II: This variant was a slightly enlarged version of the E.I, powered by a more powerful 9-cylinder Oberursel U.1 engine which yielded 100 hp of power. Wingspan was enlarged too, in order to provide more lifting power for the heavier engine. The wing was also braced by three flying wires, instead of two like the E.I. The fuselage was also enlarged to balance the heavier engine. Performance was better than the E.I as it was faster and had better climb rate and 130 were manufactured. 
  One E.II was offered to the Austo-Hungarian Navy by the financer Camillo Castiglioni in 1916. It was tested from 17th August 1916 until it crashed on 1st March 1917 during landing in Fazana. As we could only find text references to this machine, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Pfalz E.IV: This variant was powered by the 14-cylinder Oberursel U.III engine which yielded 160 hp of power. This rotary engine had a double row of cylinders and was much heavier than the preceding ones. As a development of the E.II as it was, the E.IV had the same wing but a slightly longer fuselage to balance the heavier engine. Thanks to its engine, its performance improved drastically, when compared to the E.II, even with two machine guns mounted. However, the Oberursel U.III engine had cooling problems with its second row of cylinders and wasn't as reliable as the previous ones. A total of 46 machines were built, but only five reached the frontlines at its peak number in April 1916, indicating that the type was outdated and saw barely any action.
• Pfalz E.V: The Pfalz E.V was powered by a 100 hp Mercedes D.1 inline six-cylinder engine, cooled by a nose-mounted, automobile-type radiator, giving it a distinctive appearance. It was based on the E.IV airframe and was faster in spite of its less powerful engine. However, the pre-war original Morane-Saulnier design wasn't capable of further development and was already obsolete by July 1916 when the prototype was tested. Furthermore, to compensate for the extra weight of the liquid-cooled engine, it was armed with a single machine gun. By July 1916 the Halberstadt D.II were already operating in the frontlines and their performance was superior and, therefore, only 20 machines were built, basically to keep Pfalz's factory active. A maximum of three were recorded to be at the frontlines in June 1916 and of those three, two were later transferred to the Imperial German Navy.
• Pfalz E.VI: This was the final variant of the Pfalz E-Types. It was basically an E.II powered by the same Oberursel engine, but having a different rudder shape and two sets of bracing wires, instead of the three employed in the E.II. It was tested also in July 1916 and a total of 20 machines were completed to keep Pfalz's factory active. They were used for training because they were obsolete for combat and none was recorded in the frontlines.

As the Fokker and other types were superior, only few numbers of Pfalz E-Types fighters were admitted into service, and even fewer were sent to the frontlines, where they were generally unpopular among pilots. Their service lasted until August 1916 when they were ordered to be retired from service and be cannibalized for spare parts, after many fatal crashes. Around 100 Pfalz E-Types were destroyed and the production stopped. Therefore, as Pfalz lacked a suitable replacement, Pfalz was assigned with the production of LFG-Roland biplane fighters.

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press -  Pfalz Aircraft of World War I

2. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20866

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_H

Dornier-Zeppelin D.I

The Dornier-Zeppelin D.I was a single-seat all-metal stressed-skin monocoque cantilever-wing biplane fighter that was designed by Claude Dornier when he was working for Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, at Lindau, in Bavaria.
The Dornier-Zeppelin D.I was the first fighter to feature such all-metal monocoque and stressed skin, which made the fighter a true millestone for aviation. Even if production was cancelled before any production version could be completed, it was the first aircraft with such features to enter into production. In order to reduce risks of inflight fires, it featured an external fuel tank which, apparently, and according to some sources, could be jettisoned. It also had a thick-section cantilevered wings for improved aerodynamics. It was armed with two forward-firing Spandau machine-guns.
Seven prototypes were built in order to develop the type and it was never used operationally due to the end of the World War I. It was evaluated by Luftstreitkräfte pilots in May, June and October 1918. One of the German aces, Wilhelm Reinhard was killed on 3rd July 1918 after a structural failure when this aircraft was grounded to get structural improvements. Apparently there were reports of heavy aileron controls and poor climb performance at higher altittudes. In order to fix those flaws it was fitted with a more powerful 185hp BMW IIIa water-cooled 6-cylinder inline engine that boosted the climb rate to 5000m (16000ft) from 25 minutes to 13 minutes so, thanks to that achievement, a production order was placed for 50 aircraft to be released either in October or November 1918, however airframes for that production batch were roughly 50% completed when production was halted in early 1919. US Navy and US Army Air Service bought one prototype each in 1921, which were delivered in 1922 and were used for evaluation and novel construction methods. However, as we couldn't find graphical evidence of this aircraft in American colours, we didn't drawn it.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier-Zeppelin_D.I
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Pfalz A.I/A.II - Various users

Because it's been a while since we posted about a German World War I fighter... today we felt like it was the time for it.
The Pfalz A.I was a German parasol single-seat airplane that was a licensed version of the French Morane-Saulnier L.
It was manufactured by Pfalz, that was a Bavarian company founded in 1913. With the outbreak of the World War I, the company received from the Idflieg, the German Empire's bureau for aviation, an order to develop the type L, under the denomination of A.I, as it was the first aircraft of the company.
It was phisically identical to the Type L but it had different celluliod covering on the wings that rendered them sem-transparent, giving that way, much better upwards visibility. It was powered by a single Oberursel U.0 7-cylinder radial engine that delivered 80hp of power that was also similar to that of the Gnome-Rhône as it was another licensed produced version of that engine.
The Pfalz A.II was a developed version of the A.I that featured an improved engine, it was powered by a 9-cylinder Oberursel U.1 delivering 100hp of power, and some of them were armed with machine guns, making them some improvised fighters.
They were used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the early stages of the World War I in observation and reconnaissance roles in the western front, but also in the opening stages of the Alpine front against Italy when this country entered into the war. Apparently at least one of them ended on Swiss soil and was seized by its authorities. Apparently the Ottoman Empire also used them.

sources:
1. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfalz_A-Typen (translated)
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfalz_A.I (translated)
3. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1689
4. Salamander Books - The Complete book of fighters

Avro 504K - European Users, Part One

As the Avro 504K was one of the most produced World War I airplanes, it was widely used by many European countries, we're covering them with this post.

• Belgium: First presented to the Belgian authorities in 1920 at the airfield of Evere, it convinced the Belgian observers who ordered six of them which were delivered from April 1921 onwards. The third and final delivery was made in late 1921 making fifty machines delivered from British sources. In 1924 the Belgian company SABCA built some some additional licensed machines. They were used in the flying schools of Asch and Wevelgem as well as in the liaison role serving with different squadrons and groups. They were replaced in 1929 by the Avro 504N which was a much refined version of the 504K.
• Denmark: Danske Luftfartselskab company, the Danish Airline Company bought some Avro 504K in the United Kingdom on 1919 but, as they never used them, they were sold to the Royal Danish Army who adquired two additional airplanes which were used until 1931 when they were replaced by the Avro 504N. The Royal Danish Navy, bought six of them in 1920 which were also replaced by the 504N in 1931.
• Finland: The Finnish government bought one 504K for evaluation (which is nowadays preserved at the Tikkakoski air base's museum) in as late as 1926. It was extenisvely used until November 1930 when it was written off.
• Estonia: The Estonian government bought seven airplanes in order to equip their training squadrons in 1921. They weren't manufactured by Avro itself but by one of their delegated companies, Grahame-White. They were replaced by the Avro 504R on 1928.
• Germany: The Germans managed to capture some Avro 504K during the World War I. Not very much is known about the fate of these airplanes beyond some pics of the era.
• Greece: Greece got some small number of Avro 504K airplanes after the World War I which were used to train pilots at their school of Dekeleia during the Turkish independence war. It's known that some of them were also destined to the Turkish city of Izmir. They were replaced in 1925 by the Avro 504N.

Sources:

1. http://www.belgian-wings.be/webpages/navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/interbellum/Avro%20504K/Avro%20504K%20Frontpage.html

2. http://www.natureandtech.com/?cat=121

3. http://www.avro504.org/ActualAircraft.html

4. http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/1920-1936-avro-504.html

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

Aviatik D.VII

The Aviatik D.VII, was a single-seat biplane fighter intended to take part third D-Type contest held at Adlershof on October 1918.
It was basically like the Aviatik D.VI but it had it's vertical and horizontal surfaces redesigned.

It was also powered by the Benz IIIbm with a four-bladed propeller. It was armed with the standard pair of 7,92mm LMG 08/16 machine guns and only one prototype was completed without having seen any military service whatsoever.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviatik_D.VII

Aviatik D.VI

In 1918 Aviatik was working on various prototypes of single-seat fighter at the same time. Two of them, the Aviatik D.IV and D.V were powered by the Benz Bz IIIbv which was a larger version of the Benz BzIIIbm. The D.V was powered by that same engine but was a new design which discarded flying wires. Unfortunately there it seems that there aren't pics of these models, or at least we couldn't find any.

The D.VI was the only prototype among those three that was flown in August 1918 and had little resemblance to the previous Aviatik fighter projects. It was a two-bay biplane made out of wood with ply-covered fuselage and fabric covered wings and tail surfaces.
It was armed with the usual pair of German 7,92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns and powered by the Benz IIIbm engine. It was intended to take part in the second D-type contest held in Adlershof in June 1918 but due to some engine problems it didn't make it in time. However, when tested in August 1918 it revealed excellent flying characteristics.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Aviatik D.III

Preliminary note: At first we thought that we got the scale wrong, but after double checking or even triple checking it, we realized that it was that long.

The Aviatik D.III was a prototype German biplane fighter that flew for the first time on November 1917 and became the basis for the subsequent Aviatik D.IV and D.V models.

Initially it was powered by a 195hp Benz Bz IIIbo gearless engine and was armed with the usual pair of LMG 08/15 machine guns.
After some testing performed at Adlershof during February 1918, some modifications were performed as they were requested by the Idflieg. In April, a second prototype, this time powered by a Benz Bz IIIbm, flew, even if the first variant (powered by the Bz IIIbo engine) was already in production. However, due to some delays and the armistice, none of them completed and it never went beyond the prototype stage.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviatik_D.III
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Aviatik D.II

Today we're back in the World War I after our long stay in Czechoslovakia covering Avia's airplanes.

The Automobil und Aviatik AG of Leipzig-Heiterblick built under license the Halberstadt D.II, which was known as the Aviatik D.I and, later as Halberstadt D.II(Av). That was before 1916 when Aviatik decided to design, develop and build their own fighter.
It was powered by the 160hp Daimler D.III engine and was armed with two synchronised 7,92mm LMG 08/15 machine guns.
Fuselage consisted on a staggered single-bay biplane with wooden fabric-covered wings and a forward steel tube and wood aft fuselage which was largely ply-covered.

It didn't receive the favour from the idflieg as a result of the Typen-Prüfung and further development was discontinued.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25476.htm

Alter A.1

This is one of those unfortunate entries because it has not a pic because, as far as we know, there only exists one photo of this airplane.

The Alter A.1 was a German single-seat fighter that flew for the first time in February 1917. It was designed by Kallweit und Ketterer and the sole prototype was built by Ludwig Alter-Werke in the German city of Darmstadt. The design itself was very similar to the French Nieuport 11 but, apparently it wasn't a copy, however some authors, claim that it was a blatant copy.

It was powered by a 110hp Goebel Goe-II 7 cylinder engine and it had I-type interplane struts and a wooden, fabric and plywood-covered fuselage. It was armed by the usual, for that time, German pair of 7,92mm LMG08/15 machine guns.
The development came to an end when the Idflieg ordered the project to stop because the airplane was too weak, flimsy, inadequate and obsolete for that year.

Was it a copy or not? We think that, apart from the technical aspects like the difference in the engine or in the armament, it wasn't a copy, mainly because there are many aspects that make this airplane unique like for instance, the struts. The Nieuport 11 featured vee-type struts when this one had the I-Type ones.

The only known pic of the Alter A.1

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alter_A.1
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros D.XII

Here we go again, this time with the last Albatros fighter designed in the first World War.

The Albatros D.XII was a German single-seat fighter prototype that was flown for the first time in March 1918.

As we said, it was the last Albatros fighter that was completed and flown before the end of the Great War and shared the same slab-sided fuselage of its' predecessor, the Albatros D.X.

Two prototypes were built, the first onem completed in March 1918 was powered by a 180hp Mercedes D.IIIa engine and featured balanced parallel-chord ailerons, whilst the second one, completed just one month later, in April 1918 featured unbalanced inversely tapered ailerons and some relatively new feature in the undercarriage: pneumatic shock absorbers. This second prototype, was, at first, powered by the previous Mercedes D.IIIa engine but later was refitted with the 185hp BMW. IIIa in order to take part in the Adlershof Type-D contest held in October 1918. Due to the armistice, no further development was carried-out.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.XII
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros Dr.II

New day, new entry. In this case we deal with a triplane.

The Albatros Dr.II was a German single-seat triplane fighter prototype developed during the very late stages of the World War I.

The Dr.II was a triplane variant of the previous Albatros D.X which, in fact was powered by the same engine, the 195hp Benz Bz.IIIbo engine and was armed by the usual pair of 7,92mm LMG08/16 machine-guns.

Regarding the design, all three wings had ailerons and these were of parallel chord, heavily staggered and were braced by broad I-struts.

The prototype was flown during the spring 1918 and, given that the parent airplane, the Albatros D.X, was discontinued due to the failure at winning the D-Type contest, this one was also discontinued.


Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_Dr.II
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros D.X

We keep going with another of Albatros prototype.

The Albatros D.X was a German single-seat fighter prototype that was developed in 1918 in parallel to the Albatros D.IX. In fact, it used the same slab-sided flat-bottomed fuselage as the later one, albeit slightly modified.

It was powered by a 195hp Benz Bz.IIIbo water-cooled V8 engine which proved to be better than the previous Mercedes D.IIIa straight-six installed in the D.IX.
It was armed with the usual pair of 7,92mm LMG 08/16 forward-firing machine-guns.

It took part in the D-Type contest held at Adlershof, in June 1918 but the development ceased after that event.
A pity, because of all the Albatros late fighter prototypes, this one seems to have been the most successful one.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.X
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros D.IX

This post comes later than usual.

The Albatros D.IX was a German fighter prototype built in early 1918. It was the first Albatros design to feature a slab-sided flat-bottmed fuselage and both the wings and the tail surfaces were identical to those of the Albatros D.VII.

It was powered by the 180hp Daimler D.IIIa engine and was armed with the usual pair of 7,92mm LMG08/15 machine-guns.

The only prototype was flown in early 1918 and the performance was found to be very dissappointing. Further development was discontinued.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.IX
2. Salamander Books - The complete book of fighters

Albatros D.VII

We keep posting Albatros airplanes.

The Albatros D.VII was a German biplane prototype fighter that flown for the first time in August 1917.

It was powered by a 195hp eight-cylinder water-cooled Benz Bz.IIIb Vee engine and was armed with the usual German pair of 7.92mm machine-guns.

It had ailerons on both upper and lower wings and it had were linked by hinged struts.

When tested, the performance was considered insufficient and further development was cancelled.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.VII
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros Dr.I

New week, new airplane.

The Albatros Dr.I was a triplane variant of the Albatros D.V and identical to that other one in many aspects.
It featured three pairs of wings and was flown for the first time in the summer of 1917 and was flown side by side with an Albatros D.V in order to compare it.

It was also powered by a Mercedes D.IIIa and, given that the advantage, compared to the D.V wasn't significant or, even discernible the development was abandoned and it never went beyond the prototype stage. It was armed with the usual pair of 7,92mm LMG 08 machine-guns which was very present in many German airplanes.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_Dr.I
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Albatros D.VI

This is another special post because it isn't accompanied by any pic as there isn't any photo of this airplane and much less blueprints or line drawings. A true pity because, according to the text descriptions, it seemed it was (or, as some sources claim it was never completed) a very interesting design.

Apparently and according both to the Complete book of fighters and wikipedia (which uses the first as source), the D.VI was a twin boom single-seat pusher fighter which was powered by a 180hp Daimler D.IIIa engine built in August 1917 but, due to the lack of a suitable radiator, it wasn't until February 1918 that was completed and when the prototype was flown for the first time.

It seems that it was armed with a single 7.92mm LMG 08/15 machine gun and, maybe the most interesting feature together with the pusher configuration, it was armed with a 20mm Becker Type M2 cannon.

It seems that, when the prototype was tested, the undercarriage was seriously damaged on landing and the project was abandoned, but in September 1918 Albatros proposed to the Idflieg to reactivate the project named as the "special cannon fighter".
Taking into account the characteristics of the fighter, like the pusher configuration, the single machine-gun and the installation of the cannon, we think it's safe to assume that it was going to be a multi-role ground-attack airplane with aerial defence capabilities, probably inspired by other successful identical airplanes like the Halberstadt CL.II. But then, why the Idflieg assigned the D letter, assigned to pure fighters without dedicated ground-attack capabilities and didn't assign the CL letters reserved for those fighter-sized airplanes with dedicated ground-attack equipment?

Considering that there aren't no known photos, there isn't any scale or line drawings so we couldn't draw it.

The technical data for this airplane is as follows:

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7.75m
• Wingspan: 9.8m
• Empty weight: 638Kg.
• Gross weight: 880Kg.
• Powerplant: 1x 180hp Daimler D.IIIa engine
• Armament: 1x fixed 20mm Becker type M2 Cannon plus 1x fixed 7.92mm LMG 08/15

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatros_D.VI
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
3. Windsock Datafiles Specials - Albatros Experimentals - Forgotten Fighters 1