Albatros D.V

infobox Aircraft
name = Albatros D.V
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Albatros-Flugzeugwerke



caption =
designer =
first flight = April 1917
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = "Luftstreitkräfte"
more users =
produced =
number built = approximately 2500
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =The Albatros D.V was a fighter aircraft used by the "Luftstreitkräfte" (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family, and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service. Despite its well-known shortcomings and general obsolescence, approximately 900 D.V and 1,612 D.Va aircraft were built before production halted in early 1918. The D.Va continued in operational service until the end of the war.

Development and production

In April 1917, Albatros received an order from the "Idflieg" ("Inspektion der Fliegertruppen") for an improved version of the D.III. The prototype flew later that month.

The resulting D.V closely resembled the D.III and used the same 170 hp Mercedes D.IIIa engine. The most notable difference was a new fuselage which was 70 lbs (32 kg) lighter than that of the D.III. The elliptical cross-section required an additional longeron on each side of the fuselage. The prototype D.V retained the standard rudder of the Johannisthal-built D.III, but production examples used the enlarged rudder featured on D.IIIs built by Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke (OAW).Grosz 2003, pp. 21-22.] The D.V also featured a larger spinner and ventral fin.

The upper wing of the D.V was repositioned 4.75 inches closer to the fuselage, while the lower wings attached to the fuselage without a fairing. The wings themselves were almost identical to those of the standard D.III, except for a revised linkage of the aileron cables. Connors 1981, p. 22.] For this reason, "Idflieg" conducted structural tests on the fuselage but not the wings of the new aircraft. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 40.]

Early examples of the D.V featured a large headrest, which was usually removed in service because it interfered with the pilot's field of view. Connors 1981, p. 22.] The headrest was eventually deleted from production. Aircraft deployed in Palestine used two wing radiators to cope with the warmer climate.

"Idflieg" issued production contracts for 200 D.V aircraft in April 1917, followed by additional orders of 400 in May and 300 in July. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 40.] Initial production of the D.V was exclusively undertaken by the Johannisthal factory, while the Schneidemühl factory produced the D.III through the remainder of 1917.

Operational use

The D.V entered service in May 1917 and, like the D.III before it, immediately began experiencing structural failures of the lower wing. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 40.] Indeed, anecdotal evidence suggests that the D.V was even more prone to wing failures than the D.III. The outboard sections of the upper wing also suffered failures, requiring additional wire bracing. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 40.] Furthermore, the D.V offered very little improvement in performance. Connors 1981, p. 22.] This caused considerable dismay among frontline pilots, many of whom preferred the older D.III. Manfred von Richthofen was particularly critical of the new aircraft. In a July 1917 letter, he described the D.V as "so obsolete and so ridiculously inferior to the English that one can't do anything with this aircraft."

Albatros responded with the D.Va, which featured stronger wing spars, heavier wing ribs, and a reinforced fuselage. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 65.] The D.Va also reverted to the D.III's aileron cable linkage to provide a more positive control response. Connors 1981, p. 22.] The wings of the D.III and D.Va were in fact interchangeable. Connors 1981, p. 22.] The D.Va could be visually distinguished from the D.V by a small brace connecting the interplane struts to the leading edge of the lower wing. These modifications made the D.Va heavier than either the D.V or D.III, while failing to entirely cure the structural problems of the type. Use of the high-compression 180 hp Mercedes D.IIIaü engine offset the increased weight of the D.Va.

"Idflieg" placed orders for 262 D.Va aircraft in August 1917, followed by additional orders for 250 in September and 550 in October. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 65.] Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke, which had been engaged in production of the D.III, received orders for 600 D.Va aircraft in October. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 65.]

Deliveries of the D.Va commenced in October 1917. Van Wyngarden 2007, p. 65.] The structural problems of the Fokker Dr.I and the mediocre performance of the Pfalz D.III left the "Luftstreitkräfte" with no viable alternative to the D.Va until the Fokker D.VII entered service in the summer of 1918. As of May 1918, 131 D.V and 928 D.Va aircraft were in service on the Western Front. Numbers declined as production ended, but the D.Va remained in use until the Armistice.

urvivors and modern reproductions

Today, two D.Va aircraft survive in museums. Serial D.7161/17 is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., and serial D.5390/17 is displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.

A small number of Albatros D.V reproductions have been constructed in recent years. One of the most notable flyable examples, finished in the colors of Eduard Ritter von Schleich, is operated by the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. It is powered by a modified six-cylinder Fairchild Ranger engine, fitted after the original liquid-cooled Mercedes D.III engine sheared its crankshaft.

Operators

;flag|German Empire
*"Luftstreitkräfte";POL
*Polish Air Force (postwar)

pecifications (D.V)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=
crew=one, pilot
capacity=
length main= 7.33 m
length alt= 24 ft 1 in
span main= 9.04 m
span alt= 29 ft 8 in
height main= 2.70 m
height alt= 8 ft 10 in
area main= 21.20 m²
area alt= 228.5 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 687 kg
empty weight alt= 1,515 lb
loaded weight main= 937 kg
loaded weight alt= 2,066 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Mercedes D.IIIaü
type of prop=6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine
number of props=1
power main= 134 kW
power alt= 180 hp
power original=
max speed main= 187 km/h at sea level
max speed alt= 101 knots, 116 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=